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Japanese style Mushroom & Tuna Pasta
4.8 from 95 votes

Japanese style Mushroom & Tuna Pasta

Japanese style Mushroom & Tuna Pasta combines several types of sliced mushrooms with albacore tuna in a soy-based sauce featuring mentsuyu, sake, and a hint of kombu powder. The pasta is cooked al dente and finished in a pan with the flavorful sauce and mushrooms, delivering a pleasant umami-rich dish with tender textures from both the mushrooms and tuna. Garnishes of shiso leaves and shredded nori add a fresh and slightly herbal note to the final plate.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 2
Calories: 657 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

  • 1.8 oz shimeji mushrooms (½ package; or use other types of mushrooms)
  • 3 shiitake mushrooms (or other types of mushrooms)
  • 3 cremini mushrooms
  • 1 (5-ounce) can albacore tuna 142 g; drained, preferably packed in olive oil
  • 8 oz spaghetti (4 oz, 113 g per person)
  • 1½ Tbsp kosher salt for cooking the pasta, Diamond Crystal brand
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the Sauce
  • ⅛ tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 tsp Kombucha or substitute with ¼ tsp kosher salt; This is not kombucha, the fermented drink. This powdered "tea" is made from kombu seaweed, aka kobucha
  • 2 Tbsp sake
  • 2 Tbsp mentsuyu concentrated; you can make my Homemade Mentsuyu recipe; please adjust the amount based on your mentsuyu brand; or substitute 1½ Tbsp soy sauce, concentrated noodle soup base
  • 1 Tbsp butter unsalted
For the Garnish
  • 6 shiso leaves aka perilla, ooba
  • 1 Tbsp nori seaweed shredded aka kizami nori

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Gather all the ingredients.
Prepare the Ingredients
  1. Discard the bottom of 1.8 oz shimeji mushrooms and separate them.
  2. Discard the stems of 3 shiitake mushrooms and cut the caps into slices.
  3. Discard the bottom of 3 cremini mushrooms and cut the caps into slices. Combine all the mushrooms on a plate/tray.
  4. Roll up 6 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) and cut them into julienned strips.
  5. Open 1 (5-ounce) can albacore tuna (preferably packed in olive oil) and press the lid down to drain off the excess oil. Boil 4 QT (16 cups, 3.8 L) water in a large pot. Once boiling, add 1½ Tbsp salt.
To Cook
  1. Cook 8 oz spaghetti 1 minute less than the package instructions (you will cook a bit more with the sauce). You should be able to finish the following step before the pasta is done cooking. If your pasta is done cooking first, reserve 4 Tbsp (60 ml) of pasta cooking water, drain, and set aside.
  2. In a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil on medium heat and add all of the mushrooms.
  3. Sauté for 30–60 seconds to coat the mushrooms with oil, and then add the canned tuna.
  4. Season with ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper and 1 tsp kobucha (kombucha) (or kosher salt).
  5. Add 2 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base), and 1 Tbsp unsalted butter and mix all together.
  6. Reserve 4 Tbsp (¼ cup, 60 ml) of pasta cooking water and add to the pasta sauce.
  7. Taste the sauce and adjust if needed. At this stage, the sauce should have a strong flavorful taste, not bland. If your pasta is not done cooking, turn off the heat and cover so the pasta sauce will not evaporate.
  8. Drain the pasta into a colander OR scoop the pasta from the pot. Add the pasta to the sauce. Toss the sauce and pasta well.
  9. Transfer the pasta to individual plates and garnish with 1 Tbsp shredded nori seaweed (kizami nori) and the shiso leaves.
To Store
  1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for a month.

Nutrition Information

Calories 657kcal (33%) Carbohydrates 91g (30%) Protein 36g (72%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g (18%) Monounsaturated Fat 4g (20%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 37mg (12%) Sodium 891mg (37%) Potassium 781mg (17%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 317IU (6%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 43mg (4%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 657

% Daily Value*

Calories 657kcal 33%
Carbohydrates 91g 30%
Protein 36g 72%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 37mg 12%
Sodium 891mg 37%
Potassium 781mg 17%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 317IU 6%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 43mg 4%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.