Name: Cherry Tomato & Extra Garlic Arrabbiata
Cuisine: イタリアン
Ingredients: 4 cloves of garlic; 80g spaghetti (1 serving); Cherry tomatoes, to taste; 1.5 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp shichimi togarashi; Rock salt, to taste; Pasta cooking water, to taste; Japanese parsley, to taste

About "Cherry Tomato & Extra Garlic Arrabbiata"

Chef Fumio Yonezawa shares stories from his recent trip to Taiwan while preparing an Arrabbiata pasta loaded with cherry tomatoes and garlic. The key twist is using shichimi togarashi (seven-spice blend) instead of regular chili flakes, adding a complex depth of flavor from ingredients like nori seaweed and orange peel. The garlic is gently confited in low-temperature oil and combined with fresh cherry tomatoes for an exquisite pasta dish.

Video Timestamps

Tips for Making "Cherry Tomato & Extra Garlic Arrabbiata"

Prep
- Lightly crushing garlic with the flat side of a knife makes peeling incredibly easy. Removing the germ is a matter of personal preference, as the chef's testing showed almost no difference in flavor.
Heat control
- Start heating the garlic in cold oil on high heat, then immediately drop to low once it bubbles. Gently confiting it at a low temperature cooks it soft without burning.
Ingredients
- Use fresh cherry tomatoes instead of canned ones. They are naturally sweet, and any leftovers can be used in salads, making them highly practical for home cooking.
Seasoning
- Use shichimi togarashi instead of regular chili flakes to draw out complex flavors from ingredients like nori, orange peel, and sesame. Start with 70% of the salt and adjust to taste.
Boiling
- Cook the pasta 1 to 2 minutes shorter than the package instructions, aiming for a slightly softer finish. Softer pasta allows the sauce to cling better, creating a cohesive dish.
Finishing
- When adding pasta cooking water, ensure no flames flare up in the pan. This prevents the oil from oxidizing and developing an unpleasant flavor.

Ingredients for "Cherry Tomato & Extra Garlic Arrabbiata"

8 items

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4cloves of garlic
80gspaghetti (1 serving)
Cherrytomatoes, to taste
1.5tbsp olive oil
2tsp shichimi togarashi
Rocksalt, to taste
Pastacooking water, to taste
Japaneseparsley, to taste

How to Make "Cherry Tomato & Extra Garlic Arrabbiata"

1
Lightly crush 4 cloves of garlic with the flat side of a knife and peel them.
2
Crush the peeled garlic further with the flat side of the knife.
3
Place the garlic in a frying pan and pour in 1.5 tbsp of olive oil.
4
Heat on high, then reduce to low heat to gently cook the garlic at a low temperature, letting it swim in the oil. Be careful not to burn it.
5
Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters, depending on their size.
6
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add rock salt.
7
Add the spaghetti and cook it 1 to 2 minutes shorter than the package instructions (e.g., 7 to 8 minutes if the package says 9 minutes).
8
Once the garlic is confited, add the cut cherry tomatoes.
9
Turn the heat to medium, lightly crush the tomatoes, and sprinkle in 2 tsp of shichimi togarashi.
10
Add a splash of pasta cooking water to emulsify into a sauce.
11
Start seasoning with about 70% of the target saltiness, then adjust to taste.
12
Add the pasta and toss to coat with the sauce.
13
Add chopped Japanese parsley and mix well.
14
Plate the pasta and serve.

Detailed Commentary on "Cherry Tomato & Extra Garlic Arrabbiata"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

Taipei Trip & Why Shichimi is Used

The video begins with Chef Fumio Yonezawa chatting about his recent return from Taipei. He was there preparing for the soft opening of his restaurant, 'No Code' Taipei, whose grand opening was pushed to May 11th. Expressing his love for Taiwan, he introduces today's dish: 'Cherry Tomato & Extra Garlic Arrabbiata with Shichimi.' He shares an anecdote about how people in Taiwan eat an astonishing amount of raw garlic with dumplings and sausages. He then explains the key highlight of this Arrabbiata: using shichimi togarashi (seven-spice blend) instead of standard chili flakes. Since shichimi contains various ingredients like nori seaweed, orange peel, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, and poppy seeds, it infuses the sauce with a deep richness and complex aroma.

Garlic Prep & Why the Germ is Left In

First, the garlic prep. The chef shares a tip: lightly crushing about 4 cloves of garlic with the flat side of a knife makes them incredibly easy to peel. Here, he reveals a unique personal preference: when cooking at home, Chef Yonezawa does not bother removing the garlic germ (the green sprout inside). He explains that after comparing dishes made with and without the germ, he found almost no difference in taste. 'Some might scold me for not removing it, but if it doesn't change the flavor, there's no need to do it,' he says, sharing his rational approach. However, he jokingly adds that if you work in a restaurant and your head chef tells you to remove it, you definitely should. The peeled garlic is then thoroughly crushed with the knife and tossed straight into the pan.

Gently Confiting Garlic in Low Heat

Pour about 1.5 tbsp of olive oil over the garlic in the pan. A key secret to a great Arrabbiata is the oil; using slightly more than other pasta dishes is the trick. Start heating from cold on high heat, and as soon as it begins to bubble, immediately drop the heat to low. From here, you want to gently simmer the garlic in a 'confit' style. Ideally, tilt the pan so the garlic is comfortably submerged and 'swimming' in the oil. This infuses the oil deeply with garlic aroma while cooking the cloves until they are soft to the core. Since burnt garlic will instantly ruin the entire dish, he emphasizes keeping a close eye on it and maintaining low heat to prevent any browning.

The Benefits of Using Fresh Cherry Tomatoes

While the garlic simmers on low, the chef preps the cherry tomatoes, cutting them into quarters depending on their size. He explains that while larger tomatoes are difficult to grow to be consistently sweet and flavorful, cherry tomatoes are naturally very sweet and delicious due to their small size. The chef firmly believes that pasta sauce tastes best when made with fresh tomatoes. He also shares a practical home-cooking tip: canned tomatoes often leave leftovers that are hard to use up, whereas any leftover cherry tomatoes can easily be eaten in a salad. This makes them incredibly convenient for home cooks. Even during the chopping process, a wonderful, sweet tomato aroma fills the kitchen.

Pro Pasta Boiling Hack & Cooking Doneness

Moving on to boiling the pasta, rock salt is added to the water, and 80g of spaghetti is prepared for one serving. Here, the chef demonstrates a bold professional hack: slamming the pasta bag onto the counter to pop it open instantly. Since the pasta is packed tightly, it won't break, and it's actually the cleanest way to open the bag. While the package instructions call for 9 minutes, he sets the timer to 8 (or even 7) minutes—one to two minutes shorter. Chef Yonezawa mentions he isn't a fan of overly firm 'al dente' pasta and prefers it slightly softer. He explains that a slightly softer noodle allows the sauce to cling better, creating a more cohesive dish. While the pasta cooks, they chat about how the price of hard drives—essential gear for the cameraman—has tripled.

Balancing Shichimi & Finishing with Parsley

Now, it's time to finish the sauce. Add the cut cherry tomatoes to the garlic oil, turn the heat to medium, and sprinkle in about 2 tsp of shichimi togarashi. Sauté while lightly crushing the tomatoes to form a sauce. Arrabbiata relies heavily on the perfect balance of salt, oil, and garlic. While canned tomatoes might require a pinch of sugar, sweet cherry tomatoes make it unnecessary. The chef shares that his favorite shichimi is from 'Yagenbori' in Asakusa, which makes a highly appreciated souvenir when he works abroad. He warns that when adding pasta water, you must never let flames flare up in the pan, as this oxidizes the oil and ruins the flavor. Start seasoning with 70% of the salt and adjust as you taste. Finally, he chops and adds 'Japanese parsley' (chosen to save 130 yen over expensive Italian parsley), plates it beautifully, and finishes the dish.

Tasting the Garlic & Parsley Pasta

Finally, it's time to taste the finished Arrabbiata. Twirling the pasta on a fork, the chef first takes a bite with a piece of the slow-cooked garlic. The garlic flavor has thoroughly infused the oil and pasta, offering a soft, sweet, and flaky texture. As he slurps the pasta, the refreshing aroma of the Japanese parsley and the deep heat of the shichimi togarashi harmonize beautifully, prompting an enthusiastic 'Delicious!' from the chef. The fresh sweetness and acidity of the cherry tomatoes blend perfectly with the rich garlic, making it an incredibly satisfying dish perfect for lunch. To close, he expresses gratitude for the growing subscriber count and wraps up the video by encouraging viewers to subscribe.

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