Steps

1. Cut 50g of spinach in half, separating the stems and leaves.
   🕒 00:40
2. Smash and then mince 1 clove of garlic.
   🕒 00:58
3. Heat 35g of bacon in a frying pan and slowly render out the fat.
   🕒 01:10
4. Add a little olive oil.
   🕒 01:35
5. Once the bacon fat has rendered, add the minced 1 clove of garlic and 1 Calabrian chili (whole) to the pan. Cook over low heat to slowly extract their aroma.
   🕒 01:45
6. Add 1% salt to the boiling water and start cooking the pasta. Key Tip! For Japanese-style pasta, a smooth, non-stick 1.7mm noodle is recommended for a pleasant mouthfeel.
   🕒 02:38
7. Once the bacon and garlic have lightly colored, add the spinach stems, slightly tearing them as you add.
   🕒 03:07
8. Stir-fry until the stems are softened, coating them with the oil from the bacon and garlic.
   🕒 03:29
9. Add 25g of unsalted butter and melt. Key Tip! Unsalted butter is recommended because the bacon and seasonings can make the dish quite salty.
   🕒 03:46
10. Once the butter has melted, pour 5cc of soy sauce down the side of the pan. Once a fragrant aroma arises, add 10cc of mentsuyu (noodle soup base).
    🕒 04:07
11. Add 120cc of pasta water to create the sauce base.
    🕒 04:35
12. If you want more heat, gently press the Calabrian chili before removing it.
    🕒 04:52
13. Turn off the heat.
    🕒 05:02
14. 20-30 seconds before the pasta is done, add the spinach leaves to the pasta boiling water. Key Tip! Mentsuyu (noodle soup base) is the key to the deliciousness of Japanese-style pasta, so be sure to add a little.
    🕒 06:05
15. Add the cooked pasta and spinach to the sauce (off the heat) and mix well.
    🕒 06:25
16. Plate with a little sauce remaining, and it's done.
    🕒 06:54