Last Updated on July 15, 2021

[アボカドとトマトの塩麹ドレッシング和え冷製パスタ]

Have you tried Japanese fusion pasta dishes? This cold pasta dish is one of my go-to Japanese fusion flavor arrangements. Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon Shio Koji Dressing, Avocado and Tomato is made with one my favorite Japanese ingredients, shio koji (salted rice malt.) This light, lemony, refreshing and aromatic cold pasta is a perfect dish to make during summer. Enjoy with chopsticks!

Lemon Shio Koji Dressing

Shio koji is what makes this dish unique and flavorful. With a combination of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, it’s so light and refreshing. So, what’s shio koji? I have my own recipe of homemade shio koji if you are interested in learning more in depth.

The direct translation of the words Shio Koji is Salt (shio: 塩) + Malted Rice (koji: 米麹 or 米糀). It’s a type of Japanese fermented seasoning (condiment) that is made with salt and malted rice.

Unlike other fermented food, shio koji doesn’t have any funky smell or taste. If you like miso, you’ll probably enjoy shio koji as well. It’s salty, sweet, and has umami. I consider shio koji as a multi-purpose seasoning (or condiment) that you can use for pretty much anything from rice dishes, noodles, soups, sir-fry, sauces, and dressing like this pasta recipe! Although it’s tasty and versatile, it’s not meant to be eaten by itself. Shio koji, in my opinion, is rather a “secret” umami agent.

I make my own shio koji which would be the best option but you can also buy from Asian markets and online specialty grocery stores.

For this recipe, I blended my homemade shio koji, lemon zest, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and black pepper to make the dressing. Shio koji gives a good amount of saltiness and a hint of sweetness and umami flavor. Combining with lemon makes it citrusy and very refreshing.

The Taste

You can think of it like a pasta salad. Since it’s a cold pasta dish, I opted for angel hair pasta. When it comes to traditional (non-Japanese) pasta salad, you may think of using short pastas but not for this one! The Japanese people eat a lot of cold noodle dish during hot and humid summer. So to carry the tradition, I want to have something that you could slurp or being able to eat with chopsticks (JK…kinda) so, angel hair got what I look for. Every strip of thin angel hair picks up the lemon shio koji dressing very well. Other long thing pasta like capellini can be a good option, too.

As an additional tasty element, there are avocado, tomatoes and onion in the pasta. I often make a simple salad of avocado, tomato and onion with just salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. So, I basically made a variation of that simple salad to go with the pasta. Once you mix the avocado and tomato with the lemon shio koji dressing, the salt will break them down a bit to create a nice “saucy” consistency to coat the pasta. The addition of the yellow onion gives a nice edge and the aromatic toasted sesame seeds gives another Japanese element to the dish.

To give it even more Japanese flavor, I use kizaminori (shredded seaweed) as a topping to add a hint of ocean taste in each bite. Kizaminori is a Japanese word for Shredded [kizami: 刻み]+Seaweed [Nori: 海苔.] It’s the same seaweed as what you’re familiar with in sushi but it’s in a different form. It’s a typical ingredient as a topping for Japanese fusion pasta. As you can see in the photo below, I also use it for kimchi cream pasta as well.

Lastly, another topping is baby arugula which gives a pleasant bitterness & peppery taste. It adds a different dimension to the overall taste.

It’s quite an interesting flavor combination, right? Why not trying it out today!

The Ingredients

Here is the list of ingredients to make this refreshing Japanese fusion pasta!

Shio Koji & Lemon Dressing

• Shio Koji
• Lemon Zest
• Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Black Pepper

The Rest

• Hass Avocado
• Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
• Salt
• Medium Tomatoes
• Yellow Onion
• Toasted Sesame Seeds
• Angel Hair Pasta

Toppings

• Kizaminori (shredded nori seaweed)
• A handful of baby arugula

Of course, refer to the actual recipe at the bottom for more details and the actual measurements of each ingredient.

The Tips and Recipe Notes

Here is the breakdown of some key components of the dish.

Choice of Pasta

I use angel hair pasta. It’s very thin and delicate which works great for making cold pasta dishes. Capellini is also long thin pasta so that will work as well. Other short pastas or any long pastas that are thicker than those two will not be suitable for this recipe.

Shio Koji

As mentioned, I use my homemade shio koji. It’s super easy to make if you’re able to find rice koji to start with. But it also takes a week or longer to make one from start to finish. If you love Japanese food and cook it often, I’d encourage you to make one. Once you make it, it will last for 4-6 months in the fridge.

Otherwise, you can buy one from Asian grocery stores (more often found in Japanese market) and online Japanese specialty item shops. The most common type of shio koji is the one that has the texture like rice porridge (like my homemade shio koji in the photo above.) The consistency may vary depending on the products.

There’s also a liquid form of shio koji which I’ve never tried. But I have a feeling that it will not be suitable for this particular recipe.

Dressing

Another key ingredient for the shio koji dressing is lemon. Of course, we need the juice for the acidity of the dressing but what gives the intensity of lemon aroma is the lemon zest! Make sure to zest the lemon first, then slice and squeeze for the juice.

I use one lemon to get the zest and juice needed for the dressing. Since the size and the juiciness of lemons vary, you may want to buy two lemons just in case.

The dressing will be used for seasoning the avocado, tomato, and onion mixture and to coat the pasta. This way, each component will have the taste of this amazing shio koji dressing!

Avocado

In the end, I put avocado, tomatoes, and onion all in one bowl to season. However, I prefer doing a little prep work for the avocado before adding with the other components. It’s a few simple steps but makes a difference.

Take a little bit (or remaining) of lemon juice from making the dressing and add to diced avocado and sprinkle some salt. Toss gently so you don’t mash the avocado. This way, you can pre-season the avocado and also to keep it away from browning too soon.

Tomatoes

I always buy medium size tomatoes on the vine. I love the size, taste, and the appearance!

For this recipe, I prefer not having too much juice from the tomatoes. So I slice slice them in half and remove the seeds then dice them. Don’t worry! You don’t need to discard the removed seeds/juice. You can save and store in the fridge (or freezer) then use it for making soups, pasta sauce, or stir-fry later.

Toasted Sesame Seeds

Don’t underestimate the power of toasted sesame seeds! I buy raw sesame seeds in bulk and toast at home. This is one of the ingredients that you can make in larger batches and store in fridge for a couple of months. The aroma is splendid! Check out my toasted sesame seeds recipe today.

Kizaminori

Japanese style pasta with nori seaweed is so tasty! For me, it’s a must item. You can buy kizaminori (shredded nori seaweed) from pretty much any Asian grocery stores.

When it comes to nori seaweed, I’m all about the quality and I always look for the one from Japan. Same thing for the kizaminori but it’s not as easy as to find the sushi nori sheet. So here is what I do is instead of buying mediocre kizaminori.

I take my favorite sushi nori sheet then cut & shred with my kitchen scissors.

Since I use it often, I make enough to fill up my empty glass container, then put the silica gel packet that comes with the nori seaweed to the container to keep the moisture out. It works!

How to Assemble & Serve

You will serve this dish cold (or room temperature if you will.) I don’t mean to chill in the fridge. All you need to do is to drain cooked pasta then rinse with running water to cool down and to remove starch. Then toss with the dressing. For the final assembling and serving, there are two ways to do.

Method 1: You can mix and toss all the components; the dressed pasta and the seasoned avocado & tomato, altogether.

Method 2: Plate the dressed pasta first then add the seasoned avocado & tomato on top. (I prefer this so avocado doesn’t get smashed in the process of mixing)

For both method, add kizaminori, arugula, extra toasted sesame seeds, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top for the final touch.

Feeling Inspired?

Check out other popular Japanese (Asian) fusion pasta dishes!

Spaghetti with Kimchi Cream Sauce (thin sauce)

Spaghetti with Kimchi Cream Sauce (thick sauce)

Capellini with Shishito Peppers

Print Recipe

5 from 51 votes

Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon Shio Koji Dressing, Avocado and Tomato

This cold pasta dish is one of my go-to Japanese fusion flavor arrangements. It's made with shio koji (salted rice malt.) This light, lemony, refreshing and aromatic cold pasta is a perfect dish to make during summer. Enjoy with chopsticks!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian Inspired, Vegan, Japanese Fusion

Servings: 2

Author: Plant-Based Matters

Ingredients

Shio Koji & Lemon Dressing

• 2 1/2 tbsp shio koji *
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

The Rest

• 1 Hass avocado diced
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 medium tomatoes (about 9 oz), seeds removed and diced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (plus more for serving)
• 1/2 lb angel hair pasta

Toppings

• Kizaminori (shredded nori seaweed)
• A handful of baby arugula

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Start boiling water for cooking pasta.
• Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. In a large prep bowl, combine shio koji, lemon zest, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and black pepper. Whisk together until well incorporated. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine avocado, lemon juice, and salt. Toss lightly. To the seasoned avocado, add tomatoes, yellow onion, toasted sesame seeds, and 2 tbsp of the shio koji & lemon dressing that’s been prepped in step 2. Toss gently and set aside.
• Once the pasta water is boiling, salt the water and start cooking angel hair pasta for 2 minutes. Use a colander to drain. Rinse under running water to remove starch and to cool down. Shake off the water very well and transfer to the bowl with shio koji & lemon dressing (from step 2.) Toss until the pasta is well coated with the dressing. Check the seasoning. Add more salt & pepper if needed.
• There are two ways to serve. Method 1: you can mix and toss all the components; the dressed pasta and the seasoned avocado & tomato, altogether. Method 2: plating the dressed pasta first then add the seasoned avocado & tomato on top. For the final touch, add kizaminori, arugula, extra toasted sesame seeds, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top.

Notes

• You can use either homemade shio koji or store bought one. Check out our recipe for how to make shio koji from scratch.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @plantbased_matters or tag #plantbased_matters!