Linguine alla Giapponese

Stopped by Mitsuwa, our local Japanese grocery store, and decided to try cooking the Tokyo negi (similar to the leek) for the first time. But being me, I had thoughts of pasta in my mind. I rounded out the dish with some sweet corn, shitake mushrooms, and a bunch of random stuff I found in my fridge - can't say enough how I love my new kitchen.

The negi ended up tasting like leeks except sweeter. This balanced with the sweet corn and sweet nigori sake - I know weird, but the nigori adding a slight sweetness and creaminess to the dish. Finishing the dish with butter (alla dell'anima) gave the pasta such a silky texture. Pecorino finishes it off perfectly - nice salt and more intense flavor than parmiggiano. Good times.

Ingredients
1/2 box linguine
10 shitake mushrooms sliced
1 tokyo negi sliced
2 tomatoes diced
2 corn cobs - kernels removed and milk extracted
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1/4 cup nigori sake
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
pecorino romano
1 tbsp butter

1) Bring a whole mess load of water to a boil in a large pot.
2) Set a pan over high heat. Drop some oil in and add the mushrooms - salt and pepper. The key to cooking any mushroom is make sure you cook the f out of em so they develop an intense flavor - getting almost crispy on the outside. About 7-10 minutes.
3) Salt the water and drop the pasta in the pot.
4) After the mushrooms are good, drop in the negi and cook for another 5 minutes until soft.
5) Drop in the garlic and after 20 seconds, deglaze the pan with the sake making sure to scrape all the brown bits up.
6) When pasta is 1 minute from being finished, put pasta in the saute pan with the corn and butter. Cook over high heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute and stir well. Cut the heat and serve with percorino and more olive oil. Buono Appetito!