Recipe: This Comforting Pistachio Udon Fuses Italian and Japanese Cuisines in the Best Possible Way

Yuna Cafe and Restaurant is known for showcasing a comforting, homey side of Japanese cuisine that some Adelaide diners may not have encountered before, and this creamy udon dish is no exception. Created by the Yuna team, it’s the ultimate soul food.

“At Yuna, we love to experiment and do different fusions with traditional Japanese food, whether Australian or Italian or Chinese,” owner Mia Zhang says. “The result is different, fun dishes like this one.” Her wafu pistachio udon is part carbonara, part pesto and part traditional udon – with carbonara referenced in the salty, creamy noodles; pesto in the pistachio-spinach sauce; and udon in, well, everything else.

While it’s great without garnishes, Zhang’s recommendation is to top it with loads of lemon zest and parmesan (ideally Parmigiano-Reggiano). “The lemon breaks through the creaminess of the sauce and the parmesan adds a salty flavour that goes really nicely,” she says. Her other recommendation is to use fresh udon, which you can buy frozen, rather than dried.

With the fresh, herbaceous qualities of Italian cooking and the comforting, umami flavours of Japanese cuisine, this dish is the full (and perfect) package. And if you’re not in the mood to make it yourself, you can always head to Yuna for a steaming bowl.

Yuna’s wafu pistachio udon

Serves 4–6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 egg
800g cooking cream
300g pistachios
200g baby spinach
10g yuzu juice
1 garlic clove
Salt and pepper to taste
250g udon
1 tbsp butter
½ cup peeled prawn meat
Parmesan cheese
Lemon zest

Method

Prepare the egg onsen-style by boiling it in hot water (68°C–70°C) for 20 minutes. After cooking, remove the egg and immediately place in an ice-water bath for 5–10 minutes.

In the meantime, use a food processor to blend the cooking cream, pistachios, spinach, yuzu juice, garlic and salt and pepper, until a thick sauce forms. Set aside.

Cook the udon in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute. While the udon is cooking, heat the butter in a pan and add the prawn meat, salt and pepper. Once the prawn is cooked, add the sauce mixture and udon, and stir to combine.

Top with the onsen egg, and garnish with parmesan cheese and lemon zest to your liking.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Yuna Cafe and Restaurant.