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Wafu Kinoko Pasta (Japanese-style Mushroom Pasta)

Japan · No.27 / 103

Wafu Kinoko Pasta (Japanese-style Mushroom Pasta)

Wafu Kinoko Pasta (Japanese-style Mushroom Pasta), 4 ways

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.

Ryuji Koh Kentetsu Mori Chef Dareuma
20 min · Difficulty ●●○○○ · 4videos

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RyujiRecipe developer Source verified

One pan only - noodles finish right in the sake-and-water broth

  • Salts the mushrooms ahead, rubbing it in and letting them rest 10 minutes before cooking
  • Cooks the pasta with no separate pot - it goes straight into a 300cc water plus 50cc sake plus kombu-tea broth in the same pan, a true one-pan method
  • Adds 1/2 tsp of sugar alongside the soy sauce for a sweet-savory Japanese-style butter finish
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In the chef’s words
  • The ultimate wafu pasta that makes the most of the mushrooms' aroma source
  • "That's exactly why it's delicious" - made in a single pan source

References: [1] [2]

Koh KentetsuRecipe developer Partly unverified

Mushrooms torn by hand and seared over high heat, soy sauce split into two additions

  • Tears the mushrooms by hand along their fibers rather than cutting them with a knife, to bring out fragrance and help the sauce cling
  • Splits the soy sauce into two additions - one while searing the mushrooms, one at the finish - and melts the butter in only after taking the pan off the heat
  • Skips bacon or any meat entirely, building a lighter dish from two mushrooms, garlic, butter and shiso alone
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In the chef’s words
  • Tearing the mushrooms by hand along their fibers brings out their fragrance and helps them meld with the pasta source

References: [1] [2]

Mori ChefChef with 15 years' experience; CEO of the SEASONING MARKET Co., Ltd. Partly unverified

Garlic and chili infused slowly in oil, dashi soy sauce added along the side of the pan to lightly scorch

  • Builds a sequenced low-heat infusion - garlic, then chili, then bacon - to move their fragrance into the oil before the mushrooms, the true main ingredient, go in
  • Explicitly names the technique of adding dashi soy sauce along the side of the pan to lightly scorch it for extra aroma
  • The only approach that layers two sources of dashi - instant granules and dashi soy sauce - together
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In the chef’s words
  • Garlic and chili scorch easily, so heat them gently over low heat. Heating them gently also lets their fragrance move into the olive oil source
  • Adding the dashi soy sauce along the side of the pan to lightly scorch it adds a toasty aroma source

References: [1]

DareumaRecipe developer Partly unverified

Three kinds of mushroom seared to a brown crust, pasta simmered in a water-and-shio-kombu broth

  • States outright that "you must always use three kinds of mushroom," and insists on wiping rather than rinsing them
  • Dissolves shio kombu into the simmering broth, then adds the mentsuyu only after taking the pan off the heat - a two-stage approach to seasoning
  • No video URL could be confirmed; ingredients and steps are cross-checked between a recipe transcript site and the chef's own column article (Foodist Note), though the two disagree on the heat level for sauteing
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In the chef’s words
  • Always use three kinds of mushroom source

References: [1] [2]

Compared on 10 axes

Figures are transcribed as written in each video or recipe page

AXIS Ryuji Koh Kentetsu Mori Chef Dareuma
Pasta, portion, cooking 100g, thickness not given, cooked in the broth in the pan for the standard time rather than boiled separately160g spaghettini, serves 2, 1.5L water with 1 tbsp salt, 1 min under package time (thickness not given)1.6mm, 100g, 1% salt, 1 min under package time100g, 1.6-1.8mm, finished right in the broth
Type and amount of mushroom 40g shimeji, 40g maitake, 40g eringi (120g total)1 pack shimeji, 1 pack maitake3 shiitake, 1/2 pack shimeji1 bag shimeji, 1 cluster maitake, 3 shiitake (always all three kinds)
Mushroom prep and cutting Salted with 1/3 tsp, rubbed in, rested 10 minutes. Eringi cut into rounds, maitake and shimeji torn by handTorn by hand along the fibers, no knifeShiitake stems halved lengthwise, caps cut into 5mm slices. Shimeji trimmed at the base and separatedStem ends trimmed, torn by hand; not rinsed, wiped with a damp cloth instead
How the mushrooms are sauteed Garlic then bacon over low heat in the pan; medium heat once the mushrooms are addedGarlic infused over low heat 3-4 minutes then removed; mushrooms seared over high heat until brownedGarlic, then chili, then bacon over low heat in sequence; mushrooms cooked over low heat until wiltedCooked with bacon and garlic until browned (heat level is inconsistent between sources - transcript says medium heat, column article says low heat from a cold pan)
Bacon/meat: whether used 35g bacon (shredded)None (no bacon or meat used)4 slices bacon (cut into 1cm strips)60g thick-cut bacon (cut into 1cm strips)
Garlic and aromatics 2 cloves (6g), crushed, core removed, minced1 clove (crushed with a spatula, germ removed, torn by hand; cooked and set aside, then returned later)1/2 clove garlic (minced) + 1 red chili1 clove garlic (minced)
Choice of Japanese seasoning 2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp kombu tea, 50cc sake1/2 tbsp soy sauce (for the mushrooms) + 1/2 tbsp (finishing)1/2 tsp dashi soy sauce, 1/2 tsp instant dashi granules1/2 tbsp mentsuyu (double concentrate), 5g shio kombu, 2 tbsp cooking sake
Use of fat/oil 1 tbsp oil (for sauteing - the transcript notes salad oil, but olive oil or rice bran oil also work) plus 10g butter (finishing)2 tbsp olive oil + 10-20g butterOlive oil to taste + 5g butter1 tbsp olive oil + 10g salted butter
Finish and garnish Chopped scallionShredded shiso leaf, coarsely ground pepper5 shredded shiso leavesNot specified
Time About 15 minutes20 minutes (serves 2)35 minutes30 minutes
Source check Source verifiedPartly unverifiedPartly unverifiedPartly unverified
Ryuji One pan only - noodles finish right in the sake-and-water broth
Pasta, portion, cooking
100g, thickness not given, cooked in the broth in the pan for the standard time rather than boiled separately
Type and amount of mushroom
40g shimeji, 40g maitake, 40g eringi (120g total)
Mushroom prep and cutting
Salted with 1/3 tsp, rubbed in, rested 10 minutes. Eringi cut into rounds, maitake and shimeji torn by hand
How the mushrooms are sauteed
Garlic then bacon over low heat in the pan; medium heat once the mushrooms are added
Bacon/meat: whether used
35g bacon (shredded)
Garlic and aromatics
2 cloves (6g), crushed, core removed, minced
Choice of Japanese seasoning
2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp kombu tea, 50cc sake
Use of fat/oil
1 tbsp oil (for sauteing - the transcript notes salad oil, but olive oil or rice bran oil also work) plus 10g butter (finishing)
Finish and garnish
Chopped scallion
Time
About 15 minutes
Source
Source verified
Koh Kentetsu Mushrooms torn by hand and seared over high heat, soy sauce split into two additions
Pasta, portion, cooking
160g spaghettini, serves 2, 1.5L water with 1 tbsp salt, 1 min under package time (thickness not given)
Type and amount of mushroom
1 pack shimeji, 1 pack maitake
Mushroom prep and cutting
Torn by hand along the fibers, no knife
How the mushrooms are sauteed
Garlic infused over low heat 3-4 minutes then removed; mushrooms seared over high heat until browned
Bacon/meat: whether used
None (no bacon or meat used)
Garlic and aromatics
1 clove (crushed with a spatula, germ removed, torn by hand; cooked and set aside, then returned later)
Choice of Japanese seasoning
1/2 tbsp soy sauce (for the mushrooms) + 1/2 tbsp (finishing)
Use of fat/oil
2 tbsp olive oil + 10-20g butter
Finish and garnish
Shredded shiso leaf, coarsely ground pepper
Time
20 minutes (serves 2)
Source
Partly unverified
Mori Chef Garlic and chili infused slowly in oil, dashi soy sauce added along the side of the pan to lightly scorch
Pasta, portion, cooking
1.6mm, 100g, 1% salt, 1 min under package time
Type and amount of mushroom
3 shiitake, 1/2 pack shimeji
Mushroom prep and cutting
Shiitake stems halved lengthwise, caps cut into 5mm slices. Shimeji trimmed at the base and separated
How the mushrooms are sauteed
Garlic, then chili, then bacon over low heat in sequence; mushrooms cooked over low heat until wilted
Bacon/meat: whether used
4 slices bacon (cut into 1cm strips)
Garlic and aromatics
1/2 clove garlic (minced) + 1 red chili
Choice of Japanese seasoning
1/2 tsp dashi soy sauce, 1/2 tsp instant dashi granules
Use of fat/oil
Olive oil to taste + 5g butter
Finish and garnish
5 shredded shiso leaves
Time
35 minutes
Source
Partly unverified
Dareuma Three kinds of mushroom seared to a brown crust, pasta simmered in a water-and-shio-kombu broth
Pasta, portion, cooking
100g, 1.6-1.8mm, finished right in the broth
Type and amount of mushroom
1 bag shimeji, 1 cluster maitake, 3 shiitake (always all three kinds)
Mushroom prep and cutting
Stem ends trimmed, torn by hand; not rinsed, wiped with a damp cloth instead
How the mushrooms are sauteed
Cooked with bacon and garlic until browned (heat level is inconsistent between sources - transcript says medium heat, column article says low heat from a cold pan)
Bacon/meat: whether used
60g thick-cut bacon (cut into 1cm strips)
Garlic and aromatics
1 clove garlic (minced)
Choice of Japanese seasoning
1/2 tbsp mentsuyu (double concentrate), 5g shio kombu, 2 tbsp cooking sake
Use of fat/oil
1 tbsp olive oil + 10g salted butter
Finish and garnish
Not specified
Time
30 minutes
Source
Partly unverified

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1 Pasta & boiling Brand, thickness, salt, water volume, cooking time
2 Base Fat and the main ingredient: rendering, infusing
3 Sauce & emulsion Where you toss, heat level, how much pasta water
4 Finish Cheese, pepper, finishing oil, plating

The map of schools: where the heat is managed

For Wafu Kinoko Pasta (Japanese-style Mushroom Pasta), the fork in the road is how you emulsify and heat

Toss over direct heat

The pan stays on the flame and your hands manage the temperature. Fast, but it takes feel.

  • No styles here

Indirect heat

Bain-marie, steam, double boiler or a hand blender. Repeatable, at the cost of one extra step.

  • No styles here

Off the heat

Emulsify after killing the flame, or in a bowl with only the pasta’s residual heat. Hard to get wrong.

Total timeActual values from 4 styles. Equal values stack vertically
12.6 min18.8 min25 min31.2 min37.4 minRyuji: About 15 minutesRKoh Kentetsu: 20 minutes (serves 2)KKDareuma: 30 minutesDMori Chef: 35 minutesMC
Pasta thicknessActual values from 2 styles. Equal values stack vertically
1.6mm1.6mm1.7mm1.8mm1.8mmMori Chef: 1.6mm, 100g, 1% salt, 1 min under package timeMCDareuma: 100g, 1.6-1.8mm, finished right in the brothD
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