Melt the ingredients and find out what comes out.
This is what happened to me today, combining the strange pair of shiso and zaatar.
Do you know them?
Two distant pieces of the world, geographically distant culinary traditions collected in a single recipe, dance together.
In the photo: macaroni with red tofu and courgette ragout, Japanese basil and sesame based zaatar, dried thyme and sumac.

Shiso is Japanese red basil, known for giving that characteristic reddish color to salted umeboshi plums, while zaatar is a mix of Middle Eastern spices, tasty, with a sour and toasted flavor.

The basic idea that inspires this pasta dish is the desire to experiment with unexpected tastes and ingredients, taken from other culinary traditions, creating curious and satisfying combinations, distant but not too much.

Boil the water for the pasta. Meanwhile, peel and dice the courgettes, crush and chop the garlic, and dice the tofu. In a wok-type pan, heat 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and pour all the ingredients, bay leaf and rosemary. Mix well, brown for a few minutes and then blend with the soy sauce and then with the wine. When the wine has evaporated, add the tomato puree and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 ', then remove the lid and let the sauce evaporate until a fairly dense consistency is obtained.
Boil the macaroni, drain them al dente and pour them into the wok with the sauce. Bring to the boil again and mix for a couple of minutes. Chop the leaves you shiso. Put the pasta on the plates and complete the dish with shiso, zaatar and a grated black pepper. Serve hot.