Butter Shoyu Mushroom Pasta
If you’re craving something cozy, savoury and full of umami, this Butter Shoyu Mushroom Pasta is it. Made with a medley of shiitake, king oyster, and oyster mushrooms, this dish brings together earthy flavours of mushrooms and the richness of butter and soy sauce. It’s simple enough for a weeknight, but special enough to impress anyone who sits at your table. One pan, a handful of ingredients, less than 30 minutes — this is my kinda pasta!
Sweet peas give little bursts of sweetness that counterbalance the deep earthiness of the mushrooms in every bite. I use frozen peas because they are preserved at the height of freshness and so easy to use - no need to defrost first. Easiest way to check off “eat your veggies” for the day!
I am forever obsessed with “wafu pasta” or Japanese-style pasta which marries Italian pasta with Japanese ingredients or flavour-combinations. In this case, the combination of butter and shoyu (Japanese word for soy sauce), mirin and sake come together to create this dish which is unique yet uses fairly accessible ingredients (see Tips and FAQs section if you need info about Japanese mirin and where to get it online or in-store).
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Hey! Let me know if you have any questions about the recipe or let me know what you think about it in the comments.. I’m always happy to help and always happy to hear from you.
Eat well and be well,
Sonia
what you’ll need:
Ingredients for Butter Shoyu Mushroom Pasta
Dry pasta - To save time, cook the pasta at the same time while sauce is cooking - just make sure to time it so your pasta is 2 minutes less than al dente when it goes into the sauce to finish cooking
Mushrooms - Use a mixture of 2 or 3 varieties of mushrooms for more textural and flavour depth. I love the mix of fresh shiitake, king oyster and oyster mushrooms for this but feel free to play around using the varieties you enjoy most. Be sure to read the Tips and FAQs section further down in this post for “Perfectly seared mushrooms” !
Green peas - These give pops of sweetness that balance mushroom’s earthiness in every bite. I use frozen peas because they are preserved at the height of freshness and so easy to use - no need to defrost first. Sometimes fresh peas are sweet and occasionally they are bitter but frozen peas never fail me
Garlic - 4 cloves because it tastes good and mushrooms and garlic are bff’s
Butter - The only fat used in this dish, its richness pairs so well with soy sauce. To make this dish completely plant-based, you may substitute oil for cooking but I’d probably use less
Soy sauce - for umami and distinctively Asian flavour of this pasta
Mirin - a core Japanese ingredient that adds depth of flavour and a hint of sweetness. See Tips and FAQs for more about mirin
Lemon juice - brightens the entire dish with a touch of acidity
Dry white wine orJapanese sake - used to deglaze the pan and adds a little depth of flavour but can be substituted with more broth or water for alcohol-free
Thyme - goes so well with mushrooms
Grated parmigiano reggiano or parmesan cheese - added at the end to finish
salt and pepper to taste
steps at a glance:
How to make Butter Shoyu Mushroom Pasta (scroll down to recipe card for full printable recipe)
Cook pasta to al dente less 2 minutes. Drain but keep 1 cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, brown mushrooms in butter in 3 batches until nicely seared. Set aside.
Saute minced garlic and thyme with the last knob of butter until fragrant.
Deglaze pan with sake or white wine, scraping the tasty bits. Simmer a few minutes until liquid is reduced by half.
Add soy sauce, mirin and lemon juice.
Add par-cooked pasta, along with the seared mushrooms and frozen peas.
Add grated parmesan and about 1/2 cup of pasta water. Toss and cook until pasta is al dente (2 minutes). Adjust with more pasta water if needed.
Serve with a showering of grated parmesan on top!
Tips & FAQs
Perfectly seared mushrooms
There are TWO cardinal rules when it comes to cooking mushrooms: (1) do not crowd the pan and (2) hold off salting until the very end. Both of these aim to avoid drawing out moisture. Moisture results in the mushrooms steaming rather than searing to golden brown perfection.
Contrary to popular belief, you can wash mushrooms
I wash all my mushrooms under running tap water. The key is to allow them to dry off well after. Exhibit A: the mushrooms in the blog photos were all washed before using. I spread them on a wire rack set on a baking sheet, blot them gently with paper towels and allow them to air dry the rest of the way.
What is Japanese mirin?
Mirin is similar to sake in that it is a rice wine but with higher sugar and less alcohol. The real deal mirin is made from sweet rice and rice koji. That is what you should look for in the ingredients list, along with water and sea salt. Ideally, avoid the imitation version (aji-mirin) containing added sugar, glucose syrup and/or corn syrup. You can find mirin at Japanese/East Asian grocery stores, at Whole Foods, online (e.g. Amazon) and at certain health food stores. I’ve had a harder time finding proper mirin in the international aisle of well-stocked grocery stores which tend to stock aji-mirin. Eden Foods (an American company) and Koyo Foods (a Canadian company) both make organic mirin available in the U.S. and Canada. If you can’t find mirin, substitute equal parts sake and sugar.
Where can I buy Japanese sake?
Sake can be found at online retailers, liquor stores and specialty sake stores. I suggest using a moderately priced sake for cooking and save the higher end sake for sipping.
You may also be interested in these other recipes
Recipe Notes for Butter Shoyu Mushroom Pasta
To substitute fresh thyme with dried thyme, follow the general rule to use about 1/3 the amount when substituting fresh with dried herbs which tend to be more intense. Use your senses and judgment though, because this depends a lot on how fresh your dried herbs are.
Use broth or water for non-alcoholic substitute.
Butter Shoyu Mushroom Pasta
Butter Shoyu Mushroom Pasta
This dish brings together mushrooms and the richness of butter and soy sauce. Sweet peas give little bursts of sweetness that counterbalance the deep earthiness of the mushrooms in every bite. One pan, a handful of ingredients, less than 30 minutes — this is my kinda pasta!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water on the stove to a boil for cooking pasta. When pasta water is at a boil, season liberally with salt. Cook pasta to al dente less 2 minutes. Time this to be ready when the final batch of mushrooms are finished browning and all the sauce ingredients have been combined in the pot per directions below.
- Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot over medium high heat. In 3 batches each with a knob of butter, sauté mushrooms until seared to golden brown on the edges, about 3-4 minutes. Hold off salting until the end to avoid drawing out moisture which leads to steaming rather than browning. Be patient, don’t move mushrooms constantly and let them get browned on edges. At the end, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Repeat with remaining two batches of mushrooms. Set all aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add last knob of butter along with minced garlic and thyme. Sauté briefly to bloom the thyme and garlic gets fragrant. Add sake or wine to deglaze the pan, scraping to loosen the tasty bits. Simmer until the sharp alcohol smell dissipates and liquid is reduced by half, about 3 mins. Add soy sauce, mirin and lemon juice.
- By now the pasta should be cooked to al dente less 2 minutes. Do not discard pasta water –keep about 1 cup on hand. Transfer drained pasta into sauce. Add reserved mushrooms and peas. Add ½ cup of pasta water as well as grated cheese. Mix thoroughly to coat. Cook one minute more to absorb liquid and pasta is al dente. Add splashes more pasta water if needed to adjust consistency. Serve right away with additional grated parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
652Fat
16 gSat. Fat
9 gCarbs
104 gFiber
9 gNet carbs
95 gSugar
10 gProtein
22 gSodium
839 mgCholesterol
36 mgDisclaimer: nutritional information is auto-generated and should be used as an approximation.
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Hi, I’m Sonia
I share recipes inspired by my food cravings and what I make for my family. My role as a working mom of two girls, my life in Toronto Canada and my background as a Chinese immigrant from Hong Kong all inform the things I love, crave and create. This means an emphasis on wholesome recipes that are approachable for busy weeknights and fun recipes to make on weekends and for friends!
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