Asian style pasta dish gets rich flavors

This Asian-style pasta dish gets rich flavor from a sauce made with milk infused with cilantro, lemon grass and ginger.

To get the best flavors out of the lemon grass, bruise it first. The easier way to do this is to pound it gently with a rolling pin.

In a little saucepan over medium, heat milk until warm. Reduce heat to low, add cilantro, ginger and, lemon grass then gently simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and put aside. After 15 minutes, in big saute pan over medium-high, heat peanut oil. Add garlic, onion, thyme and mushrooms, then saute until tender. Add mirin to deglaze pan, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to scrape up of any bits stuck to pan.

Strain milk mixtures into pan, discarding cilantro, lemon grass and ginger. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add soba noodles and cook, stirring regularly, until tender, about 3 minutes.