Rape Blossom (Nanohana) Sio Koji Spaghetti Aglio E Olio

Rape blossoms pasta Spaghetti Aglio E Olio peperoncino on a plate

Here's a recipe for "Shio Koji Spaghetti Aglio E Olio Peperoncino" pasta with rape blossoms(菜の花 / Nanohana).

If you have fresh rape blossoms growing in your garden, how about a quick boil with pasta for a tasty pasta lunch?

Just toss it with the shio koji (umami-flavored homemade seasoning, recipe here) peperoncino sauce, and you've got an amazingly simple yet excellent rape blossoms pasta. This is a luxurious dish that's only available in the spring.

If you don't have any rape blossoms, no worries! You can still enjoy this dish by using another kind of vegetable you have on hand, like cabbage or broccoli.

Let's get this spring started off on the right foot with this tasty dish🌼

Rape blossoms Spaghetti Aglio E Olio peperoncino on a plate

If you're looking for a recipe using rape blossoms, I also recommend boiled rape blossoms seasoned with soysauce and mirin (菜の花のおひたし/Nanohana no ohitashi). It's great as a side dish to refresh your palate.

Also, just so you know, all the recipes on this blog are vegan and vegetarian. I'd also recommend them for anyone interested in a plant-based diet. If you have time, please check out the other pages too🕊

Ingredients for Shio Koji Peperoncino

The ingredients are simple, but the result is delicious!

rape blossoms, garlic, chili peppers, olive oil, soybeans, shio koji

Rape blossoms: I used Chinese cabbage rape blossoms, which are sweeter with less bitterness than other kinds.
Cooked soybeans: You can add soybeans for more protein, but the spaghetti is also good without them. Click here to learn how to cook soybeans.
Shio koji : Shio koji makes pasta even more delicious because of its sweetness and flavor. Here's my step-by-step guide to making shio koji at home.
Olive oil: I like to use Extra virgin olive oil.
Garlic : Garlic is a key ingredient in peperoncino. I add some extra garlic because I use a kind that doesn't have as strong of an taste. Some Chinese and varieties have a much stronger garlicky smell, so adjust the amount depending on the garlic you have on hand.
Chili peppers: Take out the seeds and use it in small amounts. I usually use it more for the flavor than for the heat.

Shio koji, chili pepper, garlic, rape blossoms, olive oil

In addition to these, please prepare dried pasta and salt.

For exact amounts, please check the recipe card👇

Step by Step Guide

Let's cook the pasta and make the peperoncino sauce at the same time. This way, you can have some nice, warm fresh pasta right away.

Soybeans mashed with the belly of a knife, minced garlic, crushed red pepper, and rape blossoms cut into bite-size pieces

Prep❶: Wash and cut rape blossoms into bite-sized pieces. Finely chop the garlic, cut the chili peppers into appropriate sizes, and lightly crush the soybeans with the belly of a knife.
Prep➋: Bring a pot of water to the boil, add salt and cook the pasta. About 1 minute before boiling, add the rape blossoms and cook together.

🗝If the rape blossoms are limp, soak them in water for a while to crisp them up. It is also better to boil the rape blossoms long with the stems first and short with the tips, so that the texture would be about the same.

Ingredients for pan-fried shio koji spaghetti aglio e olio peperoncino

Make the sauce: While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil, garlic, and chili peppers. Cook until the garlic is lightly browned, careful not to burn it. When browned, add the shio koji and turn off the heat.

Shio Koji spaghetti aglio e olio Peperoncino sauce emulsified until thickened

Add the pasta water: When the pasta water becomes cloudy, add a ladleful of the pasta cooking water to the pan. Reheat and cook until the sauce thickens.

Boiled pasta tossed with shio koji spaghetti aglio e olio peperoncino sauce in a frying pan, rape blossoms and soybeans

Toss: Once the pasta and the rape blossoms are cooked, transfer to a frying pan and toss with the sauce. Add the soybeans and mix, season with shio koji or salt to taste and serve immediately. Clean up later and enjoy while it is hot!

Tools

frying pan
cooking chopsticks
pot
colander
kitchen knife
cutting board

Storage

If you're keeping leftovers, put them in a storage container and refrigerate them. The next day, it'll be a bit dry, but heating it up will make it just as good. It's got a strong salty flavor, so you can also enjoy it like a pasta salad if you want.

Questions

Q: How many varieties of rape blossoms(菜の花/nanohana) are there?

"Rape blossom(菜の花/nanohana) " is a term used for the flower buds, buds, and young leaves of cruciferous vegetables that bloom yellow flowers. There are a bunch of different types of rape blossoms, like takana, mustard greens, asparagus greens, Chinese cabbage, mizuna, komatsuna, and broccoli.
Each vegetable has its own unique flavor, and the same goes for rape blossoms. It's interesting how they have such different tastes. If you get a chance, try out some different types of rape blossoms to find your favorite one.

Vegan recipes to use up Shio Koji:

VEGAN🥚Kinshi Tamago (Shredded Egg Crepe)

More Pasta Recipes

Here is more recipes for vegan pasta:

Rape blossoms pasta peperoncino on a plate

Recipe Card

vegan canola flower spaghetti aglio e olio

Rape Blossom (Nanohana) Sio Koji Spaghetti Aglio E Olio

by Vegin Vegan Vegun!

Here's a recipe for Shio Koji Peperoncino noodles with rape blossoms. If you have fresh rape blossoms on hand, how about a quick boil with pasta for a tasty noodle lunch? Add the Shio Koji Peperoncino Sauce and you've got a surprisingly simple but excellent rape blossoms pasta dish. This is a luxurious dish that's only available in spring.

This dish is for two people, each with 50 grams of spaghetti, so it's a pretty small portion. If you usually eat a 100g portion of pasta alone, this would be for one person.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total 15

Course pasta

Cuisine Fusion

Servings 2 people

Equipment

frying pan
cooking chopsticks
pot
colander
Kitchen knife
Cutting board

Ingredients

100 g rape blossoms (Increase/decrease as desired)
50 g soybeans (Increase/decrease as desired)

Sauce

2 teaspoon shio koji
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ chili pepper
pasta water (one ladle)

Boil Pasta

100 g spaghettie
1 L water
8 g salt

Instructions

Prep❶: Wash and cut rape blossoms into bite-sized pieces. Finely chop the garlic, cut the chili peppers into appropriate sizes, and lightly crush the soybeans with the belly of a knife.
*If the rape blossoms are limp, soak them in water for a while to crisp them up.
Prep➋: Bring a pot of water to the boil, add salt and cook the pasta.
*About 1 minute before boiling, add the rape blossoms and cook together.
*It is also better to boil the rape blossoms long with the stems first (a minute) and short with the tips(30 seconds), so that the texture would be about the same.
100 g spaghettie
1 L water
8 g salt
100 g rape blossoms
Make the sauce: While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil, garlic, and chili peppers. Cook until the garlic is lightly browned, careful not to burn it. When browned, add the shio koji and turn off the heat.
2 teaspoon shio koji
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ chili pepper
Add the pasta water: When the pasta water becomes cloudy, add a ladleful of the pasta water to the pan. Reheat and cook until the sauce thickens.
pasta water
Toss: Once the pasta and the rape blossoms are cooked, transfer to a frying pan and toss with the sauce. Add the soybeans and mix, season with shio koji or salt to taste and serve immediately. Clean up later and serve while it is hot!
50 g soybeans