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!
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.