Wasabi Macaroni And Cheese With Nori Dressing Recipe

Japanese ingredients are incredibly versatile, working with a number of dishes to draw out certain flavour profiles and an ingredient that I’ve enjoyed experimenting with recently is wasabi. 

Pairing this spicy Japanese staple with one of my favourite comfort foods seemed like a no brainer. So, let me introduce my wasabi macaroni and cheese recipe with nori seaweed.

Serves 2 as a main course

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients 

Macaroni

One mug of grated cheese (adjust measurements based on preferences) 

2 tbsp of corn flour  

1 tbsp of salt 

Fresh wasabi (optional) 

3 tbsp of butter

3 tbsp of milk

Nori 

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven by turning it on to 260 °C. 
2. Melt butter into a pan and add milk. Stir in corn flour to thicken up the sauce and leave to simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add water to another pan and a tablespoon of salt. Put in the macaroni and boil on high heat for 8 – 15 minutes to make al dente.
4. Use a wasabi grater to grate fresh wasabi rhizome into a fine paste. Make sure you use slow, circular motions on the grater to ensure maximum flavour. 
5. Add grated cheese into the roux and then scrape the wasabi sauce in afterwards. Continue to simmer the sauce on low heat until pasta is al dente.
6. Drain the macaroni in a colander and transfer to an oven proof dish. 
7. Cover the macaroni with the roux and rip nori sheets up into smaller chunks to place on the surface.
8. Leave in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes and serve.

Notes

• The recipe can be used with wasabi paste or fresh wasabi. I used fresh wasabi from The Wasabi Company and found that the sauce had a great, spicy kick.
• The nori adds some extra saltiness and crunch to the mac and cheese. 

Be sure to check out some of my other Japanese and Italian fusion meals, like this awesome shiitake mushroom and fusilli recipe with homemade sake sauce. You could also try this nduja udon with bacon and polenta recipe for another round of heat.