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<JAPANESE TOMATO PASTA>

  • Writer: Miwa
    Miwa
  • May 4, 2020
  • 3 min read

Updated: Mar 21


Simply divine tomato pasta with a Japanese twist — truly my family's favorite.


I make this once a week, especially on days when I want something simple, nourishing, and comforting.

It’s one of those dishes that feels gentle on the body, but still deeply satisfying.


What makes this recipe special is the use of Shio koji and mirin — traditional Japanese fermented ingredients.

They naturally enhance flavor while supporting digestion in a very gentle way.


In Japan, fermented foods are not something special.

They are simply part of everyday life — something we come back to again and again.


If you're curious how to bring that same feeling into your own kitchen,



Japanese pasta with Japanese fermented tomato sauce





＜Yield> 3 servings


<Prep time> 5 minutes


<Cook time> 15 minutes


<ingredients>

3 portions spaghetti

4 large tomatoes / cherry tomatoes (400g)

※Use ripe tomatoes — that's the key!

4 cloves garlic

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 ½ tablespoons Shio koji

1 teaspoon Mirin


<Optional toppings>

basil

poached or grilled chicken


<Directions>


1. Mince the garlic finely. Chop the tomato roughly.


2. In a pan add in the minced garlic and olive oil then put the heat on high. Once the garlic become fragrant, add in the tomatoes. Lower the heat to medium. Gently stir it and pop a lid on.


3. After a couple of minutes, open the lid and add in 2 tbsp of Shio koji. Cook it until the sauce becomes soupy. Once it becomes soupy, lower the heat to low and thicken the sauce, stirring periodically. Once the sauce has reduced by half, remove from heat.


4. Blend until smooth. Adjust the taste by adding in mirin and Shio Koji.


5. Cook the pasta and transfer it into the pan. Toss the pasta with the tomato sauce. Add in cheese if you want to.


6. Serve on your plate. Garnish with some herbs. Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese and black pepper. Now it's ready to be enjoyed!



<Notes>

Variations

-The toppings are endless. You can add in more cheese, chicken, broccoli, asparagus or any kind of seasonal vegetable would be perfect!


Suggestions

-If you are swapping the salted rice malt for salt, keep in mind that salt is way saltier than salted rice malt so please don’t add too much salt. Start with adding 2 tsp of salt, it should be enough.

- If your tomatoes are not ripe enough, please balance out the sweetness with mirin. The riper they are, the sweeter the sauce becomes naturally.

-This tomato sauce can go with grilled fish, chicken. It's also good for pizza sauce! Make a batch and save it for later!

<Storage time>

Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

MIWA’s Recommendations

 

- My e-cookbooks available with vegan, breakfast, and meal prep versions.

I hope this will be helpful and enjoyable in your kitchen.

- MIWA's Tableware is NOW live!

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2026/03/21 MIWA







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