Name: Bonito, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Caper Spaghetti
Cuisine: イタリアン
Ingredients: Bonito (sashimi-grade) 200g; Spaghetti 160g; Sun-dried tomatoes 20g (initially prepared 40g, then adjusted to half after checking the flavor intensity); Capers 2 tsp; Garlic 1 clove (minced and preserved in olive oil); Red chili pepper to taste (seeded and finely chopped); White wine 30ml (for rehydrating sun-dried tomatoes; can substitute with water); Olive oil 3 tbsp; Salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Italian parsley to taste; Lemon zest to taste

About "Bonito, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Caper Spaghetti"

Chef Yoshimi Hidaka, owner-chef of Ristorante Acquapazza, introduces a Southern Italian-style spaghetti utilizing store-bought sun-dried tomatoes. By rehydrating the sun-dried tomatoes in white wine and water, their deep umami is fully drawn out. Sashimi-grade bonito is gently cooked using only the residual heat when tossed with the pasta. The acidity of capers and the aroma of lemon zest bring a refreshing balance to the dish, harmonizing beautifully with the rich umami of the sun-dried tomatoes. Packed with concentrated glutamic and guanylic acids, these dried tomatoes provide a deep, savory core flavor that fresh tomatoes simply cannot match.

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Tips for Making "Bonito, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Caper Spaghetti"

Ingredients
- Use San Marzano-type sun-dried tomatoes. Drying concentrates glutamic acid and adds guanylic acid, dramatically boosting umami. Since the flavor is very intense, limit the amount to 20g for two servings.
Prep (Tomatoes)
- Slice the sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips, roughly mince them, and rehydrate in a pan with olive oil and white wine over low heat. Once the alcohol evaporates, add hot water and simmer for 5 minutes until plump and tender.
Prep (Bonito)
- Trim the dark meat off the sashimi-grade bonito and cut into bite-sized cubes. Keep them moderately sized so they cook gently through residual heat when tossed. Season lightly with salt after cutting.
Prep (Aromatics)
- Use minced garlic preserved in olive oil. Seed and finely chop the red chili pepper. Roughly chop the capers instead of mincing them to retain their texture.
Boiling Pasta
- Boil the pasta for 6 and a half minutes—slightly firmer than usual—to account for the cooking time when tossing it with the sauce.
Sauce & Heat
- Heat olive oil and garlic over low heat. Once fragrant, add the chili pepper and capers to infuse the oil. Add the rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes and loosen the sauce with pasta cooking water.
Finishing
- Add the bonito to the pan just before the pasta finishes boiling, then add the pasta and toss gently to cook the bonito with residual heat. Finish with olive oil and Italian parsley, plate, and grate lemon zest on top.

Ingredients for "Bonito, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Caper Spaghetti"

12 items

* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon

Bonito(sashimi-grade) 200g
Spaghetti160g
Sun-driedtomatoes 20g (initially prepared 40g, then adjusted to half after checking the flavor intensity)
Capers2 tsp
Garlic1 clove (minced and preserved in olive oil)
Redchili pepper to taste (seeded and finely chopped)
Whitewine 30ml (for rehydrating sun-dried tomatoes; can substitute with water)
Oliveoil 3 tbsp
Saltto taste
Blackpepper to taste
Italianparsley to taste
Lemonzest to taste

How to Make "Bonito, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Caper Spaghetti"

1
Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips, then roughly mince them.
2
In a pan, combine a small amount of olive oil, the minced sun-dried tomatoes, and white wine. Simmer over low heat to cook off the alcohol. As the liquid reduces, add a splash of hot water and simmer for another 5 minutes over low heat until the tomatoes are plump and tender.
3
Trim off the dark meat (chiai) from the bonito, cut the fish into bite-sized cubes, and sprinkle lightly with salt to let the flavor absorb.
4
Prepare the minced garlic preserved in olive oil. Seed and finely chop the red chili pepper. Roughly chop the capers.
5
Boil the spaghetti in salted water for 6 and a half minutes (slightly firm/al dente).
6
In a separate pan, heat olive oil and garlic over low heat. Once fragrant and the garlic is lightly golden, add the red chili pepper and chopped capers to infuse their flavors into the oil.
7
Add 20g of the rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, then pour in a splash of pasta cooking water to emulsify and loosen the sauce.
8
Just before the pasta is finished boiling, add the bonito to the pan, followed immediately by the cooked spaghetti, and toss everything together. Cook the bonito gently using only the residual heat.
9
Finish by tossing with a drizzle of olive oil and Italian parsley. Plate the pasta and grate fresh lemon zest over the top to serve.

Detailed Commentary on "Bonito, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Caper Spaghetti"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

Southern Italian Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Chef Yoshimi Hidaka introduces a Southern Italian/Sicilian-style spaghetti featuring sun-dried tomatoes as the star ingredient. While the chef has previously used homemade semi-dried tomatoes or soft dried tomatoes, he decided to take on a recipe using store-bought sun-dried tomatoes to answer many viewer questions about how to use them. He pairs them with sashimi-grade bonito and capers. Sun-dried tomatoes are now easily available in supermarkets, and this recipe highlights their rich, concentrated flavor. The ingredients are simple yet highly aromatic, including garlic, chili pepper, white wine, olive oil, Italian parsley, and fresh lemon for the finishing touch.

Slicing Tomatoes and the Secret of Umami

The recipe uses about 8 pieces (40g) of elongated San Marzano-type sun-dried tomatoes. Since sun-dried tomatoes have an extremely concentrated flavor, they are first sliced into thin strips and then roughly minced. Here, the chef shares some culinary science regarding tomato umami. Tomatoes naturally contain glutamic acid, a key umami compound, which becomes highly concentrated and increases significantly during the drying process. Furthermore, the drying process generates guanylic acid—an umami compound typically found in mushrooms—making dried tomatoes exceptionally more flavorful than fresh ones. Successfully drawing out this rich umami from the dried tomatoes is the most crucial step to making this dish delicious.

Rehydrating with White Wine and Water

Place the minced sun-dried tomatoes in a pan, add a small amount of olive oil and white wine, and heat. If you do not have white wine, water can be used instead, but white wine helps highlight the tomatoes' natural acidity. The goal is to gently cook them over low heat to rehydrate and soften them. Once the alcohol evaporates and the liquid reduces, add hot water (or room-temperature water) and continue to simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. This rehydration process transforms the tough, dried tomatoes into plump, tender pieces, allowing their rich umami to easily dissolve into the sauce. While simmering, the chef enjoys some lighthearted banter with his assistant, Yoshizawa-san, about other menus they are filming for YouTube today.

Prepping Bonito and Using Dark Meat

While the sun-dried tomatoes are simmering, prep the bonito. For this recipe, sashimi-grade bonito purchased from a local supermarket is used. When the fish is exceptionally fresh, the dark meat (chiai) can be left on, but this time, it is trimmed off. According to the chef, the trimmed dark meat is delicious when quickly sautéed with grated garlic, similar to a tataki style. Cut the main bonito fillet into bite-sized cubes so it incorporates well with the pasta. The key is not to cut them too large, ensuring they cook gently through residual heat when tossed with the pasta. Once cut, sprinkle the bonito lightly with salt to season. By this time, the simmering sun-dried tomatoes have absorbed the liquid and become quite soft.

Prepping Aromatics and Boiling Pasta Al Dente

For the garlic in the sauce, use minced garlic preserved in olive oil. Seed and finely chop the red chili pepper. Use small capers and chop them roughly rather than mincing them too finely to preserve their texture. At this point, the chef instructs his assistant, Yoshizawa-san, to boil the pasta. Considering the time the pasta will spend cooking in the sauce later, he specifies a boiling time of 6 and a half minutes—slightly firmer than usual. Yoshizawa-san playfully responds to the chef's instruction with a stylized 'Gyoi!' (Understood!), bringing a warm and cheerful atmosphere to the kitchen.

Building the Sauce and Finishing the Dish

Heat olive oil and minced garlic in a pan over low heat to draw out the aroma. Once the garlic is lightly colored, add the red chili pepper and chopped capers. Since the timing of adding capers can alter the flavor profile, sauté them briefly to transfer their acidity and aroma into the oil. Next, add the rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes. Although 40g was initially planned, the flavor is incredibly intense, so the chef adjusts the amount to half (20g). Add a splash of pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce, and just before the pasta is done, toss the bonito into the pan. Add the cooked pasta and toss everything together, allowing the bonito to cook gently using only the residual heat. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and parsley, plate, and grate fresh lemon zest over the top.

Tasting and Celebrating Staff Growth

The chef and Yoshizawa-san taste the completed pasta together. Taking a bite, Yoshizawa-san praises it, saying, 'The umami of the sun-dried tomatoes is so strong, and combined with the acidity of the capers, it's incredibly refreshing and pairs perfectly with the bonito.' The chef agrees, noting, 'Sun-dried tomatoes really are delicious.' In fact, Yoshizawa-san was recently promoted to the pasta station and has been incorporating sun-dried tomatoes into the restaurant's lunch menu, such as in a whitebait pasta. The chef highly praises Yoshizawa-san's rapid growth through focused effort, offering warm encouragement: 'It's not just about becoming a better cook; gaining various life experiences as a person is what truly matters.' They wrap up the video together with a synchronized 'Gyoi!'

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