Soy Sauce Pasta: A Deceptively Simple Dish for Students

I want pasta. But cream? Nope.

Tomato sauce? Of course not. Basil? What's that?

What I have in the fridge is just soy sauce, garlic, and eggs.

...That's enough.

Soy sauce pasta. Just hearing the name makes you think, "Is that even good?" But once you make it, you'll wonder, "Why didn't I know about this before?"

An Italian chef might be horrified, but who cares?

If it tastes good to us, that's all that matters.

The moment the umami of soy sauce meets the pasta, it transcends both Western and Korean cuisine into a new level of home cooking.

Ingredients

1 serving of pasta, cooking oil or olive oil, sliced garlic, bacon or mushrooms (if neither, just garlic works), soy sauce, oligo syrup, oyster sauce, sesame oil, pepper.

Instructions

First, cook the pasta.

Add plenty of salt to boiling water and cook the pasta. Here's a key tip: cook it for 1-2 minutes less than the time on the package. You'll be stir-frying it with the sauce later, so it will finish cooking then. This is called al dente. Just knowing this term makes you sound like you know your way around the kitchen.

And don't discard the pasta water. Save about half a ladle. This magical water will help adjust the sauce's consistency later.

Second, sauté the ingredients.

Heat oil in a pan and add the sliced garlic, sautéing gently. Once the garlic aroma starts to infuse the oil... at this point, the smell is already amazing. If you add some red pepper flakes, you'll get a spicy kick, and adding bacon or mushrooms will enhance the flavor even more. But honestly, just sautéing the garlic is already delicious. Cooking is about using what you have.

Third, make the sauce.

This is the heart of the dish. Combine 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of oligo syrup, and 0.5 tablespoons of oyster sauce in the pan and bring it to a slight boil. The soy sauce transforms into a sweet and salty sauce as it heats up, and the smell will make your hunger level peak.

Fourth, combine.

Add the cooked pasta and half a ladle of pasta water to the pan. Turn up the heat and quickly stir-fry to coat the pasta with the sauce. Use tongs or chopsticks to lift and toss the pasta, ensuring an even coating of sauce. You'll feel like a pro.

Fifth, finish.

Turn off the heat and drizzle 0.5 tablespoons of sesame oil and sprinkle some pepper. Make sure to add the sesame oil off the heat, as direct heat will cause the aroma to dissipate.

If you want to take it up a notch

Add a piece of butter. Toss it in during the finishing stage and let it melt. The flavor will suddenly jump to restaurant level.

Seaweed flakes + green onions. Sprinkle some seaweed flakes on top and add chopped green onions for an Instagram-worthy visual. The taste also becomes cleaner. Seaweed flakes are truly versatile; it's amazing how they make everything taste better.

Egg yolk. Place an egg yolk on top of the pasta and mix it in.

The moment the yolk breaks and coats the pasta... the richness hits your brain. Only those who have tried it know this feeling.