Kissaten-Style Napolitan: The Definitive Recipe

Salut! It's Yoko, the home cook.

I've been obsessed with Napolitan lately.

Specifically the old-fashioned, kissaten (retro coffee shop) style.

To make a truly delicious Napolitan, I researched and researched, and I'm happy to report that I've finished a definitive, keep-forever recipe!

It's an easy method that still produces kissaten-style Napolitan, so please have a look.

Napolitan was born in Yokohama

(Source: Hotel New Grand)

In France, "spaghetti napolitaine" means spaghetti with tomato sauce, but Napolitan as we know it originated in Japan!

There are various theories, but it is generally said that Napolitan originated in the restaurant of Hotel New Grand, which opened in Yokohama after the war.

Shigetada Irie, then head chef of Hotel New Grand, which was requisitioned by GHQ, came up with Napolitan as military rations for the occupation forces.

The ingredients were ham and mushrooms. The sauce was tomato, tomato paste, onion, garlic and olive oil.

It was finished with minced parsley and Parmesan cheese.

That's right, the Napolitan of that time wasn't kissaten-style, and no ketchup was used!

As for why Napolitan noodles are soft, first of all the flour imported at the time was soft wheat, so the pasta was naturally soft to begin with.

To make the texture even closer to udon, which Japanese people were familiar with, they would boil the noodles partway, set them aside for five to seven hours, and quickly reboil them before serving.

After that, word spread that making it with ketchup was easy and delicious, and Napolitan was adopted for school lunches and as a cooking example for domestically made pasta,

and it began to appear on kissaten menus.

It seems you can still eat Napolitan made to the original recipe at Hotel New Grand.

Incidentally, pudding a la mode and doria were also born there, so if you love yoshoku (Western-style Japanese food), you should visit Hotel New Grand!

Particular about the ingredients

Basically I'd like to use everything listed here, but if your fridge doesn't have all the main players,

at the very least you want onion and meat (bacon or sausage) for umami.

For the overall color, I'd also like bell pepper if possible!

Ketchup, the lead-off hitter of Napolitan

The balance of sweetness, acidity and spice differs by brand.

If you're aiming for kissaten-style Napolitan, I recommend one that isn't very acidic, but find one you like.

Bacon for umami

The smoky flavor goes up your nose! It blends well with oil and adds umami to Napolitan.

It shrinks quite a bit when cooked, so I recommend cutting it about 3 cm wide.

Meaty sausage

Recommended if you want more meatiness than bacon gives you.

A coarsely ground sausage like Schau Essen gives you a snappy, juicy bite.

A finely ground, nitrite-free one is soft, blends well with the pasta and has a mellow deliciousness.

You can cook it whole for a hearty feel, or slice it on the diagonal so it holds together better. Up to you.

Onion, essential for Napolitan

Cutting along the grain gives it more presence. Cutting across the grain makes it soft and blends better with the pasta.

You can cook it well to bring out its sweetness, or stir-fry it quickly to keep a crisp texture.

Garlic for richness

Adding garlic gives Napolitan richness and a nice garlicky flavor.

If you want a milder aroma, slice it.

Butter

Like garlic, butter adds richness to Napolitan.

Too much gets heavy, so a small amount is best.

Bell pepper for color

The green of the bell pepper stands out against the all-red, ketchup-stained plate.

I definitely want it in there for the color. Be careful not to overcook it, or the color will fade.

Mushrooms, which look great

With mushrooms, you get a more authentic Napolitan.

Fresh ones smell better, but if you're aiming for the Napolitan of a good old cafe, you want canned-style, boiled mushrooms.

They come in cans or pouches, and I recommend the pouch type, which has no canned smell.

Parmesan to finish

If you can, I recommend Parmigiano-Reggiano rather than ordinary Parmesan.

It's a block of umami (amino acids), so a light sprinkle at the end makes the Napolitan even better!

It's a little too fancy, though, so to get closer to kissaten-style Napolitan, use powdered grated cheese.

Mayonnaise, which turns Napolitan into junk food

If you treat Napolitan as if it were yakisoba and give it that treatment, the flavor shifts in a more junk-food direction.

What do you use?

The thing that tastes so good on yakisoba: karashi (hot mustard) mayonnaise.

I've long used Matsuda's Mayonnaise, which Remi Hirano also raves about.

It has little sharp acidity and is mellow. I love the crisp finish from the mustard.

Kissaten Napolitan recipe

Now that the ingredients are ready, let's make some Napolitan.

Ingredients (serves 1)

Ketchup...4 tbsp
Onion...1/4 (cut into wedges)
Bell pepper...1 (cut 5 mm wide)
Garlic...1 clove (minced)
Bacon...1 slice (cut 3 cm wide)
Sausage...4 (scored, or sliced thinly on the diagonal)
Spaghetti...1 serving
Butter...5 g
Olive oil...1 tbsp
Parmigiano-Reggiano (or grated cheese)...as needed

Directions

I used 1.6 mm spaghetti.

There's the camp that boils it long and drains it for 10 minutes, the camp that boils it and rests it in the fridge for three hours or more...

There are many factions, but today I want a chewy texture, so I'm using water-soaked pasta.

Soak it in water for about an hour and a half. When the spaghetti has swelled and turned slightly white, it has absorbed enough water.

Leave just a little water, toss the spaghetti with olive oil (not included in the amount above), put it in a pot, cover, and steam it over low heat.

When the spaghetti turns yellow, take off the lid,

and stir-fry until it gets a little browned. The moisture cooks off and it smells wonderful.

Browning the noodles removes moisture from the surface of the spaghetti, so the Napolitan sauce clings to it more easily!

Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the bacon and sausage.

^ I got the order wrong and added the garlic too early, lol

When they're browned, add the garlic and vegetables and stir-fry. You can add the mushrooms here too.

When the onion softens, push the ingredients to the edge of the pan and drop in the ketchup.

If you like, a small amount of Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco works as a hidden flavor.

Cook just the ketchup for a minute or two to cook off its moisture and sharp acidity!

When the ketchup starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, add the butter and noodles.

Adding the butter last brings out its flavor to the fullest.

Mix well so the Napolitan sauce coats everything, and your classic kissaten Napolitan is done!!

The Parmigiano-Reggiano floating on top is beautiful!

Napolitan tips at a glance

Finally, a recap.

Five rules for easy, delicious kissaten Napolitan!

• Noodles should not be al dente! Boil them longer / rest them three hours or more after boiling / use water-soaked noodles
• Cooking the ketchup mellows the acidity and keeps the dish from turning soggy
• A little Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco as a hidden flavor is delicious too
• Add the butter at the very end for even more richness and flavor!
• Putting mayonnaise on Napolitan takes the junk-food factor way up!

With this method, built on those five rules, delicious Napolitan can be yours.

Please give it a try! Au revoir!