Tomato Pasta with Perilla

On Monday, I went to Omnivore Bookstore in Noe Valley here in San Francisco for a cookbook meet and greet with a food blogger I’ve been reading for over a decade. During the event, she mentioned not having sesame oil so she subbed in peanut butter for a quick lunch she was prepping for herself and I was both flabbergasted and intrigued by the substitute, but the second thought that immediately followed was, “How does one not have (or run out of) sesame oil in the pantry?!” Although unlikely to happen in my Korean kitchen, I began to wonder how many Americans are missing out on sesame oil in their pantry.

So when I created this mid-week lunch with my gorgeous Indigo Blue tomatoes that are finally ripening in the garden, I also began wondering how many American pantries are missing out on the incredible flavor and mouthfeel of sesame oil’s cousin, perilla oil.

Perilla (깻잎 or “kkaenip”) is a Korean herb, technically part of the mint family. It’s also known as Japanese shiso or Chinese basil. You may have enjoyed perilla leaves fresh with your KBBQ.

You can find commercial perilla oils at any H Mart or Korean grocery store near you but if you really want to up the quality and flavor, I highly recommend Grand perilla oil from Kim’C Market (this is the one I have) and I’d also recommend this extra virgin sprouted perilla oil, plus you can use my code FRUITANDSUP10 for 10% off!

Do you have sesame oil in your pantry? Perilla? Both?! Let me know on Instagram!

Tomato Pasta with Perilla (1 serving)

Ingredients

• 1 pint of tomatoes
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 TBSP perilla oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 serving of linguine, about 56 grams
• 2-3 sprigs of basil
• Parmesan cheese
• Black pepper

Step 1. Slice tomatoes in half and add to a large mixing bowl. Add soy sauce and perilla oil. Zest garlic into bowl using a microplane and mix to combine.

Step 2. Cook pasta according to instructions on package. As soon as the noodles are cooked al dente, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water in a measuring cup and drain the pasta. While they’re still steaming, add noodles to the bowl of tomatoes, shave about 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese on top, and add a couple splashes of pasta water. Mix vigorously with tongs to emulsify, creating a savory sauce.

Step 3. Plate and top with chopped basil, more parmesan cheese and black pepper. Enjoy immediately!