This Japanese bacon asparagus pasta is a dish that beautifully showcases the season of spring with fresh asparagus that provides a tender crunch and rich bacon that perfectly compliments the light, soy sauce-based sauce. This light, fresh, and flavourful spring pasta is also incredibly quick and easy to prepare with just a handful of simple ingredients. It's perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or a low-effort weekend meal.
This pasta is an excellent example of yōshoku (洋食), in this case a delightful fusion of Japanese and Italian cuisines. Yōshoku refers to Western-influenced cooking in Japan. It incorporates Western style cooking methods or ingredients, adapting them to suit Japanese taste preferences or available ingredients and resources. In contrast, washoku (和食) is traditional Japanese cuisine using ingredients and methods indigenous to Japan.
For another delicious pasta recipe, I recommend this delicious bucatini all'amatriciana dish from central Italy. The light tomato sauce is wonderfully flavourful and packed full of vitamins from discreetly hidden vegetables.
Ingredients
The ingredients in the recipe are fairly simple, allowing the star ingredients to shine. Most you will likely already have in your pantry.
- Spaghetti
- Bacon
- Fresh asparagus
- Garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Water
- Sake
- Seasonings: soy sauce, chicken bouillon, salt & pepper
- Butter
See the recipe card below for quantities.
Substitutions
- Spaghetti - Substitute with the pasta of your choice
- Bacon - You could substitute the bacon with pancetta, guanciale, or pork belly; or with another kind of meat.
Instructions
Prep your ingredients and cook the pasta in boiled water according to package directions.
Step 1: Heat olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic.
Step 2: Add bacon and asparagus and stir fry while the bacon gets a bit of crisp and the asparagus softens.
Step 3: Mix in the water, soy sauce, sake, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Stir fry for another 3 minutes.
Step 4: Add in the boiled and drained pasta and the butter. Stir until the pasta is well coated in the sauce. Enjoy immediately.
Storage
Store leftover in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Reheat slowly in a pan with a bit more oil or butter.
FAQ
Typically, the peak of asparagus season when you can enjoy the most exquisite produce is April-May.
Related
Looking for more tasty pasta or noodle recipes? Try these:
Pairing
These are some of my favourite dishes to serve with this Japanese asparagus bacon pasta:
📖 Recipe
Japanese Bacon Asparagus Pasta
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
This Japanese bacon asparagus pasta is a perfect spring dish. Fresh asparagus and rich bacon complement a light, soy sauce-based sauce. Quick and easy to prepare with simple ingredients, it's ideal for busy weeknight dinners or low-effort weekend meals.
Ingredients
200 g spaghetti
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
4 spears asparagus, tough parts discarded, cut into 3 cm lengths
60 g bacon, cut into 3 cm pieces
100 ml water
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sake
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
Step 2: Add bacon and asparagus and stir fry while the bacon gets a bit of crisp and the asparagus softens.
Step 3: Mix in the water, soy sauce, sake, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Stir fry for another 3 minutes.
Step 4: Add in the boiled and drained pasta and the butter. Stir until the pasta is well coated in the sauce. Enjoy immediately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 634
- Sugar: 4.5 g
- Sodium: 943.2 mg
- Fat: 26.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 79.2 g
- Protein: 18.9 g
- Cholesterol: 35.1 mg
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