Zucchini Pasta with Teriyaki Salmon

Zucchini Pasta with Teriyaki Salmon is a simple, Japanese-inspired pasta that matches teriyaki sauce and freshly minced ginger to add a little sweetness and bite to a familiar dish. And is a must if you have a garden bursting full of zucchinis you don’t know what to do with..

Zucchini Pasta with Teriyaki Salmon

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 servings of linguine

2 salmon fillets (about 1/2 lb each)

2 inches of fresh ginger – peeled and minced

Vegetable oil

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (store-bought or homemade)*

3-4 garlic cloves - minced

2 medium zucchini - sliced thinly

2-3 spring onion - chopped

Dash of black pepper

Drizzles of sesame oil (optional)

2 tbsp sesame seeds - lightly toasted

* For homemade teriyaki sauce: 

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce(for richer color)

3 tablespoons mirin

2 tbsp honey or dark brown sugar

1 tbsp sake (optional)

Method: 

1. If you have all the ingredients to make your own teriyaki sauce, you just need to mix the ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes until sauce slightly thickens.

2. Once teriyaki sauce cools, add it to a small bowl and combine with minced ginger. Marinate the salmon fillets with half of the mixture, then place salmon in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350F. Layer a baking pan with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with vegetable oil. Place salmon fillets on tin foil and drizzle some vegetable oil over them. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

4. After the salmon are placed in the oven, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add in the linguine.

5. While the linguine is cooking, heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a skillet or frying pan, over medium heat. Add in garlic and cook for half a minute until garlic is lightly browned. Add in zucchini and saute for about 3 minutes. Add in spring onion and the rest of the ginger-teriyaki sauce, and mix well. Saute briefly then turn fire off.

6. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add it to the skillet and toss to combine with zucchini. Drizzle in some sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds and black pepper. Serve warm with salmon on the side.