Bracken Fern Spaghetti

Instructions

1. Boil the spaghetti in salted water, draining it 2 minutes before the time on the package. Toss with 1 tbsp perilla oil in a bowl.
2. Rinse the bracken fern lightly under water, then drain it well in a colander.
3. Finely chop the scallion and garlic.
4. In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and mix well to make the sauce.
5. Heat grapeseed oil in a pan and add the scallion and garlic, cooking until fragrant. Set aside a little scallion for garnish.
6. Add the bracken fern and sauté, adding a little pasta water at a time to cook off its distinctive smell.
7. Taste the bracken fern, and once it’s tender, add the sauce and spaghetti, tossing well and letting the moisture cook off so the sauce clings to the noodles.
8. Add 2 tbsp perilla oil and 1 tbsp ground perilla seeds, turn off the heat, and toss well in the residual heat.
9. Plate and finish with the reserved scallion, 1 tbsp perilla oil, and 1 tbsp ground perilla seeds on top.

Tips

• A few years ago I was given some dried bracken fern that someone had hand-picked in Jeju, and I always wanted to use it for something special. I ended up turning it into a vegan pasta, and it went over surprisingly well.
• Adding perilla oil at the very end, almost like a garnish, keeps its aroma at its best.
• Bracken fern dressed as a namul side dish keeps releasing water over time, but sautéing it here until the moisture cooks off keeps a pleasantly firm texture while still letting the perilla oil’s aroma shine — it works well for entertaining guests or as a wine pairing.
• If you’re working with bracken fern for the first time, we recommend using a pre-prepped store-bought product that’s ready to cook straight away.

Bracken Fern Spaghetti
Equipment: pot, frying pan, knife, cutting board, mixing bowl
Ingredients (1 serving)

- spaghetti 70g
- bracken fern 80g (blanched and soaked in water)
- scallion 1 stalk
- garlic 2 cloves
- perilla oil 4 tbsp
- grapeseed oil 2 tbsp
- ground perilla seeds 2 tbsp
- pasta water a little
- salt 1 tbsp (for pasta water)
- soy sauce 1 tbsp (soy sauce or guk-ganjang)
- fish sauce 1 tbsp (tuna-based fish sauce)
- perilla oil 1 tbsp

Instructions
1. Boil the spaghetti in salted water, draining it 2 minutes before the time on the package. Toss with 1 tbsp perilla oil in a bowl.
2. Rinse the bracken fern lightly under water, then drain it well in a colander.
3. Finely chop the scallion and garlic.
4. In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and mix well to make the sauce.
5. Heat grapeseed oil in a pan and add the scallion and garlic, cooking until fragrant. Set aside a little scallion for garnish.
6. Add the bracken fern and sauté, adding a little pasta water at a time to cook off its distinctive smell.
7. Taste the bracken fern, and once it's tender, add the sauce and spaghetti, tossing well and letting the moisture cook off so the sauce clings to the noodles.
8. Add 2 tbsp perilla oil and 1 tbsp ground perilla seeds, turn off the heat, and toss well in the residual heat.
9. Plate and finish with the reserved scallion, 1 tbsp perilla oil, and 1 tbsp ground perilla seeds on top.

https://hong-recipe.pages.dev/en/recipes/bracken-spaghetti/