Spicy Seafood Udon Pasta (Kabuki Copycat)

Why I Love This Recipe

• The real-deal Kabuki flavor: This copycat recipe comes straight from my experience working at Kabuki, where I learned how the cooks made this dish. I promise it tastes exactly the same!
• Ready in 20 minutes or less: Despite the layers of flavor, this yaki udon comes together quickly, making it an easy option for a weeknight meal.
• It’s a complete meal: Udon provides carbs, seafood adds protein, and vegetables round it out. I wouldn’t call it health food, but it is a good balance of carbs, protein, fat, and veggies.
• Thick, bouncy, chewy noodles: Udon has a satisfying texture and shape that makes it the perfect noodle for holding onto the buttery seasoning base.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Spice blend – Blackened Redfish Magic Seasoning, shichimi togarashi, and cayenne pepper to make it spicy. The blackened seasoning is the main flavoring in this dish, and can be closely duped by combining the following:
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 2 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon white pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• Fat base – Salted butter and good olive oil.
• Noodles – Use your preferred brand of frozen udon noodles. If you don’t have one, I recommend Shirakiku (picture below).
• Seafood – Kabuki uses shrimp, scallops, mussels, and calamari. I don’t care for scallops so I left them out. You can use whatever you prefer––even chicken, beef, pork, or tofu.
• Veggies – Carrots & asparagus, though you can also use whatever veggies you prefer here. I highly recommend the asparagus though––it complements this dish so well!
• Garlic – Just a little minced garlic to round out the dish.

Products and brands used in this recipe.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

For the full ingredient list and instructions, jump to the recipe card at the end of this post.

1. Make the spice blend. Combine Blackened Redfish Magic Seasoning, shichimi togarashi, and cayenne pepper (if you want it spicy). Mix well and set aside.

2. Prep the aromatics and vegetables. Mince the garlic, cut the asparagus on a deep bias into 3-inch pieces, and cut the carrots into matchsticks.

3. Prepare the udon. Boil some water then turn off the heat. Drop the frozen udon noodles into the boiled water just until they loosen and separate (about 20-30 seconds). Drain and immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

4. Season the seafood. Lightly season the seafood with a pinch of the spice blend, reserving the rest for later.

5. Sauté the vegetables. Heat some olive oil in a 10-inch pan over medium heat. Add the asparagus, carrots, and a small pinch of the spice blend. Sauté until they start to soften but still have some snap.

6. Cook the seafood. Add a little more olive oil, then the seafood and cook until it’s about ¾ of the way done (about 3 minutes).

7. Make the seasoning base. Pushing everything to the opposite side of the pan, add the remaining olive oil, butter, garlic, and spice blend. Mix well, then add a small splash of water to deglaze and scrape up any flavorful bits at the bottom of the pan.

8. Add the udon. Add the parboiled udon noodles and toss everything together for 1-2 minutes, until the noodles are heated through and coated in the buttery spice mixture.