Marc's Recipes

  • Type
  • Ingredient
  • Course
  • Cuisine
  • Dietary
  • Sign Up
  • Log In
  • Contact
  • Signup
  • Log In
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Type
  • Ingredient
  • Course
  • Cuisine
  • Dietary
  • Sign Up
  • Log In
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Type
    • Ingredient
    • Course
    • Cuisine
    • Dietary
    • Sign Up
    • Log In
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • Crispy fritters of tender sweet corn in a tempura batter.
      Corn Tempura (Tōmorokoshi No Gansekiage)
    • Slippery somen noodles in a creamy broth topped with spicy chicken.
      Creamy Tantan Somen
    • Soy sauce butter shiitakes and snap peas.
      Fresh Shiitake Mushroom Stir-Fry
    • Succulent shrimp with basil and black pepper.
      Basil and Black Pepper Shrimp
    • A plate of corn fritters.
      Cheesy Corn Fritters
    • Sea bream, snap peas, and cherry tomatoes.
      Pan Fried Sea Bream
    • Juicy chicken chashu slices ready for a bowl of ramen.
      Chicken Breast Chashu
    • A mound of roasted fava beans with garlic and balsamic vinegar.
      Pan Roasted Fava Beans
    • A glossy mound of sautéed menma, the classic ramen topping, finished with a vibrant sprig of kinome.
      Menma (Ramen Bamboo Shoots)
    • Hamaguri no Sakamushi, a Japanese dish of sake-steamed clams, is plated here with opened shells and a light broth, finished with aromatic sansho leaves for a clean, herbal contrast.
      Sake Steamed Clams (Hamaguri No Sakamushi)
    • A hearty bowl of Mapo Zucchini glistens with spicy, umami-rich sauce, the tender squash and pork topped with a fragrant sprinkle of Sichuan pepper.
      Mapo Zucchini
    • Spicy kimchi and poached chicken in a salad.
      Poached Chicken & Kimchi Salad
    Home » Type » Pasta

    Shirasu & Cabbage Pasta

    February 16, 2022 by Marc Matsumoto Leave a Comment

    Shirasu and Cabbage Pasta ready to serve

    Shirasu is the Japanese word for "whitebait," or the immature fry of fish. It's generally used to refer to baby Japanese anchovies, but it can be used for other fish as well. Although they can be eaten raw when very fresh, they spoil quickly, so most shirasu is boiled in saltwater and frozen for distribution around Japan. Some of these are also dried, which changes their name to shirasuboshi or chirimen (depending on how dried they are).

    This easy pasta is deceptively delicious. To be honest, I was pretty dismissive of the idea of using cabbage in pasta when I first moved to Japan, but after trying it once, I was sold. Cabbage is loaded with amino acids, which creates the taste of umami, and it's also sweet when cooked. When you pair it with something briny like shirasu (or even salted anchovies), it creates a marvelous contrast in taste and takes the umami in the fish to the next level.

    In this preparation, a generous amount of olive oil gets infused with garlic and dried chilies, then by adding starchy pasta water, you can create a rich emulsion that becomes the sauce for the pasta. This is essentially the technique used to make the Neapolitan dish Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. Add to that the shirasu and cabbage, and you end up with a sublimely satisfying meal that comes together in the time it takes to boil the spaghetti.

    Access this Recipe

    Welcome! I’m Marc Matsumoto, creator of No Recipes and host of television’s Bento Expo. You’ve stumbled upon my secret stash with over 150 original recipes with a new one coming every week! Unlike my other site, these recipes are member-supported, so you won’t find any banner ads here. Please consider becoming a member to access to this recipe, or you can check out some free recipes here.

    • ✓ No ads
    • ✓ Access the full stash of over 100 recipes
    • ✓ 1 new recipe per week
    • ✓ Support Norecipes.com

    Sign Up →

    Already a member?


     
     
    Forgot Password

    More Pasta

    • A close-up shot of Bacon Broccoli Pasta shows each penne coated in a silky green sauce, with bits of crispy bacon peeking through for a savory punch.
      Bacon Broccoli Pasta
    • A bowl of savory kabocha squash pasta.
      Kabocha Squash Pasta with Browned Butter
    • Spaghetti Carbonata gets an upgrade with decadent Matsutake mushrooms.
      Matsutake Mushroom Carbonara
    • A plate of spaghetti with cabbage and shrimp.
      Spring Cabbage & Shrimp Pasta

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    I started No Recipes back in 2007 as a place to share original dishes I'd created with friends. It's since evolved into something much bigger than I could have imagined, but as it grew, the focus shifted from inventing dishes to improving classics. In the spirit of how No Recipes began, I'm bringing back my weekly original recipes for all of my supporters and friends!

    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest

    More about me →

    Marc's Favorites

    • Crispy fritters of tender sweet corn in a tempura batter.
      Corn Tempura (Tōmorokoshi No Gansekiage)
    • A plate of corn fritters.
      Cheesy Corn Fritters
    • Hamaguri no Sakamushi, a Japanese dish of sake-steamed clams, is plated here with opened shells and a light broth, finished with aromatic sansho leaves for a clean, herbal contrast.
      Sake Steamed Clams (Hamaguri No Sakamushi)
    • Spicy mentaiko and creamy butter adorn these steamed potatoes.
      Mentaiko Butter Potatoes
    • Roasted chicken on a plate.
      Perfect Roast Chicken
    • Tenderloin slices with mushroom wine cream sauce.
      Tenderloin Steak and Creamy Mushroom Sauce

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Contact
    • About

    Newsletter

    • Recipe Updates by Email

    Legal

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms and Conditions

    All text and photos ©2007-2023 by Marc Matsumoto. All rights reserved.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required