Name: Spaghetti with Mint and Pecorino Romano
Cuisine: イタリアン
Ingredients: Garofalo Spaghetti (1.7mm): 70g; Fresh mint: 1/2 pack (approx. 2.5g); Pecorino Romano: to taste (Parmigiano-Reggiano can be used as a substitute); Olive oil: to taste; Garlic: to taste (sliced); Chili oil: to taste; Salt: to taste (adjusted to achieve a 1.5% salinity in the pasta water)

About "Spaghetti with Mint and Pecorino Romano"

Inspired by the Sicilian classic "Spaghetti with Ricotta and Mint," Chef Tomomi Ogura of the Italian restaurant "Regalo" in Sangubashi perfected this ultimate summer pasta after much trial and error. Built on an aglio e olio base, this simple yet bold dish uses a generous half-pack of fresh mint per serving and is topped with a mountain of Pecorino Romano. The rich, salty depth of the Pecorino combined with the punch of garlic and chili oil is beautifully balanced by the refreshing coolness of the mint, creating a light and novel flavor profile. It is the perfect dish for midsummer or as a refreshing final course, and is highly recommended for anyone growing mint at home.

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Tips for Making "Spaghetti with Mint and Pecorino Romano"

Ingredients
- Use 1.7mm Garofalo spaghetti, which absorbs moisture well. The thickness is crucial to stand up to the rich cheese.
Ingredients
- The key is using a generous half-pack (approx. 2.5g) of mint per serving. Dynamically topping it at the end highlights its freshness and aroma.
Prep
- Grate the Pecorino Romano into wide, fluffy shavings using a Microplane medium zester for a better mouthfeel.
Prep
- Roughly chop the mint, stems included. Keeping the pieces relatively large increases the burst of freshness when eaten.
Heat control
- Slice the garlic and place it in a cold pan with olive oil, then slowly draw out the aroma over low heat.
Boiling
- Keep the pasta water salinity at 1.5%. Start by checking the pasta at the manufacturer-recommended 7.5 minutes, as cooking times can vary.
Finishing
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss quickly to emulsify the garlic oil and cooking water, coating the pasta thoroughly.
Plating
- After plating, pile the Pecorino high until the pasta is hidden, then top with plenty of fresh mint. Toss vigorously right before eating.

Ingredients for "Spaghetti with Mint and Pecorino Romano"

7 items

* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon

GarofaloSpaghetti (1.7mm): 70g
Freshmint: 1/2 pack (approx. 2.5g)
PecorinoRomano: to taste (Parmigiano-Reggiano can be used as a substitute)
Oliveoil: to taste
Garlic:to taste (sliced)
Chilioil: to taste
Salt:to taste (adjusted to achieve a 1.5% salinity in the pasta water)

How to Make "Spaghetti with Mint and Pecorino Romano"

1
Bring water to a boil for the pasta and add salt to achieve a 1.5% salinity.
2
Thinly slice the garlic.
3
Add olive oil and the sliced garlic to a cold pan, then heat over low heat to slowly draw out the aroma.
4
Add chili oil to the pan to add heat and accent the flavor.
5
Add 70g of spaghetti to the boiling water, set a timer for 7.5 minutes, and cook.
6
Grate the Pecorino Romano using a Microplane medium zester to create wide, fluffy shavings.
7
Roughly chop the fresh mint, including the stems (keeping the pieces relatively large enhances both aroma and texture).
8
Check the doneness of the pasta, and once cooked, drain it thoroughly.
9
Add some pasta cooking water to the pan and emulsify it with the garlic oil.
10
Toss the drained pasta into the pan, shaking it quickly to thoroughly coat the pasta with the emulsified sauce.
11
Plate the pasta and top with a mountain of grated Pecorino Romano until the pasta is completely covered.
12
Top generously with the chopped fresh mint to finish. Toss everything together vigorously right before eating.

Detailed Commentary on "Spaghetti with Mint and Pecorino Romano"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

The Unexpected Backstory of a Mind-Blowing Pasta

Chef Tomomi Ogura of the Sangubashi Italian restaurant "Regalo" introduces "Spaghetti with Mint and Pecorino." The video kicks off with friendly banter about the chef's casual evening drinking zero-carb beer and shiso shochu highballs the night before. The main recipe was actually born from a failure: Chef Ogura tried making "Spaghetti with Ricotta and Mint" from a Sicilian cookbook he loves, but it didn't taste good at first. Even after researching with Gemini AI and trying again, it wasn't quite right. After much trial and error, he focused on a pasta using the Roman herb "mentuccia" (nepitella). Inspired by the classic Cacio e Pepe combination of Pecorino and mint, he elevated it into a superb Regalo-style dish.

Simple Yet Meticulously Selected Ingredients

The ingredients used this time are incredibly simple: garlic, Pecorino Romano (which can be substituted with Parmigiano-Reggiano), fresh mint, and spaghetti. The key is using a generous half-pack (about 2.5g) of mint per serving. To stand up to the rich creaminess of the cheese, he selected 1.7mm "Garofalo" spaghetti, which absorbs moisture beautifully. Since traditional local recipes use chili peppers instead of black pepper, he built this dish on an aglio e olio base, swapping Italian parsley for mint and finishing with a mountain of Pecorino. It is a highly calculated combination where every simple ingredient plays a distinct role.

Building the Sauce Base and Boiling the Pasta

Cooking begins with slicing the garlic. Slice the garlic carefully, place it in a cold pan with olive oil, and slowly draw out the aroma over low heat. Next, add chili oil to introduce heat and accent the flavor. To ensure the pasta is well-seasoned, add salt to the boiling water to achieve a 1.5% salinity. The pasta portion is 70g. Set a timer for the manufacturer-recommended 7.5 minutes, but since cooking times can vary depending on the pasta, checking the texture at 7.5 minutes is a professional tip. Wait for the pasta to cook while letting the garlic infuse the oil.

Grating the Cheese and Prepping the Mint

While the pasta is boiling, prepare the cheese and mint toppings. Grate the Pecorino Romano using a Microplane medium zester to achieve a wide, fluffy texture. The way you grate the cheese dramatically changes the mouthfeel, making the choice of tool crucial. Next, prepare the star of the dish: the mint. Use a generous half-pack per serving. If the stems seem too tough, you can pluck just the leaves, but the chef chops them roughly, stems and all. Cutting the mint boldly into larger pieces dramatically enhances the burst of freshness and aroma when you take a bite.

Wine Pairing and Insights on Sicilian Cuisine

At this point, the chef tastes his favorite white wine, "Gavi di Gavi" (made from the Cortese grape) from the Roero region of Piedmont. Its crisp aromas of green apple and citrus, combined with a pleasant minerality, pair perfectly with this refreshing pasta. While enjoying the wine, the chef discusses the background of the dish. In Italy, there is a tradition of "spaghetti povera" (poor man's spaghetti)—simple home-cooked meals made with whatever is on hand—and this pasta belongs to that lineage. He also shares a professional insight: since Sicilian-style "ricotta and mint" can easily become dry with fresh ricotta, switching to salty, rich "ricotta salata" might yield a more authentic and delicious local result.

Emulsifying the Sauce and Plating

Once the pasta is cooked, check its firmness, then add a splash of the cooking water to the garlic oil in the pan to emulsify. Drain the pasta thoroughly and toss it into the pan. Quickly toss the pan to combine the oil, cooking water, and pasta starches, coating the noodles thoroughly with the sauce. After plating beautifully, the true highlight of the dish begins. Pile the grated Pecorino Romano high until the pasta is completely hidden. Then, dynamically top it with a mountain of chopped fresh mint. The result is a visually stunning dish with a beautiful contrast of white and green.

A Harmony of Freshness and Richness

Toss the completed pasta vigorously before tasting. Taking a bite, the chef exclaims, "This is incredibly delicious! The ultimate late-night summer pasta!" The rich saltiness and depth of the Pecorino, combined with the punchy savoriness of garlic and chili, are elevated by the overwhelming freshness of the mint, resulting in a novel flavor that never feels heavy. Though it might seem like an odd pairing, the mint acts as a textured ingredient that harmonizes beautifully with the garlic. According to the chef, it is "the ultimate pasta to clear your head when hungover," offering a mind-blowing taste that anyone growing mint on their balcony should try.

Restaurant Updates and a Special Wine Set

At the end of the video, there are updates from the Regalo Group. The restaurant will be closed for summer holidays from June 30th to July 9th, during which the staff will travel to Italy for training, while Chef Ogura himself will travel through Tohoku and Kyushu. Starting July 10th, an exciting new summer menu featuring barracuda, sweetfish, sea urchin, and more will launch. Additionally, with the importer's cooperation, a special wine set from Piedmont's excellent producer "Monchiero Carbone"—including the "Gavi di Gavi" tasted in the video (a 6-bottle set of sparkling, white, and red)—is available at a heavily discounted price of 19,000 yen. Enjoy this exquisite pairing to brighten your summer table.

About 小倉知巳のイタリアンプロ養成講座

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