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Sakura Shrimp Pasta

Japan

Sakura Shrimp Pasta

Sakura Shrimp Pasta

A fragrant Japanese-style spaghetti coating dried sakura shrimp and shiitake with pasta water, soy sauce, garlic and mitsuba.

15 min · Difficulty ●●○○○

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Dishes in this family

Each dish keeps its own guide; compare the ingredient and preparation differences here.

Wafu Kinoko Pasta (Japanese-style Mushroom Pasta)A dish from Japan's own "wafu spaghetti" genre, pairing mushrooms with Japanese seasonings such as soy sauce, mentsuyu, or dashi. No single original recipe can be confirmed; schools diverge on the type and prep of mushroom, the choice of Japanese seasoning (soy sauce, mentsuyu, shiro-dashi, or dashi-soy plus salted kelp, among others), and whether bacon is used.Read this dish →Japanese-style Tuna PastaA soy-and-dashi tuna spaghetti with mushrooms and komatsuna, finished lightly with grated daikon and shiso.Read this dish →Natto PastaA concise Japanese-style pasta that tops chicken-stock-seasoned spaghetti with natto mixed with its seasoning and scallions, preserving its sticky texture.Read this dish →Ume Shiso PastaA tossed pasta balancing pounded umeboshi and fresh shiso with tuna, bonito-based noodle soup concentrate, olive oil and garlic.Read this dish →Shirasu PastaA Japanese-style oil pasta that crushes half the shirasu into the sauce and keeps the rest intact, with toasted soy sauce and pea shoots.Read this dish →

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Meet the dish

Japanese home cooking

Warm dried sakura shrimp briefly so their concentrated aroma and coral color spread through the pasta without fading.

Pasta shapes to use

  • Spaghetti

Key ingredients

  • Dried sakura shrimp
  • Shiitake mushrooms
  • Mitsuba
  • Garlic
  • Soy sauce
  • Olive oil

Follow the cooking scenes

  1. Sakura Shrimp Spaghetti: lifting spaghetti early while reserving pasta water.

    Step 1: Lift the pasta early

    Drain the spaghetti one minute early and reserve cooking water, leaving room to finish its texture in the pan.

  2. Sakura Shrimp Spaghetti: browning shiitake mushrooms in garlic oil.

    Step 2: Brown the mushrooms

    Warm garlic in olive oil and brown the shiitake, driving off moisture to concentrate their aroma.

  3. Sakura Shrimp Spaghetti: adding sakura shrimp to pasta water.

    Step 3: Bloom shrimp in pasta water

    Add pasta water, then sakura shrimp, warming them briefly so their aroma enters the liquid without prolonged simmering.

  4. Sakura Shrimp Spaghetti: tossing spaghetti with mitsuba and soy sauce.

    Step 4: Finish with mitsuba and soy

    Toss in pasta and mitsuba, then add soy sauce at the edge of the pan and plate as soon as it becomes fragrant.

What to watch for

  • Add sakura shrimp after the cooking water so they do not scorch in bare oil.
  • Use soy sauce at the end for aroma without making the dish heavy or salty.

What sets it apart

Unlike soft, mild shirasu, sakura shrimp contribute toasted shellfish aroma, coral color and a delicate shell texture.