Natto Spaghetti

Our late grandfather (Mr. Kamesaburo Uyehara who founded Aloha Tofu) had once appeared on a Japanese TV program and said so positively that “he would never eat natto.”  Also, natto was one of my husband’s least favorite food at the time when we got married, but thanks to this recipe, he developed a love for natto.  This is one recipe that I would definitely want everyone who has never tasted but hates natto, including Grandpa Kamesaburo in heaven, to try.

Ingredients

1 package Aloha Natto, finely chopped

½ pound spaghetti

½ cup green onions, finely chopped

3 pieces umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums), seeds removed and finely chopped

1 cup dashi

2 tablespoons soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

vegetable oil as needed

Cooking Directions

1. Boil spaghetti al dente, drain and set aside.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add green onions (white portion of the stalk), spaghetti, natto and dashi in that order and sauté, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

3. When most of the liquid has evaporated, add green onions (green portion of the stalk), soy sauce and umeboshi, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

4.  Serve on plates and garnish with thin strips of dried seaweed and mayonnaise if you like.