Spicy Garlic Mushroom Pasta
It was a rainy and cloudy day here in Hawaii. 🌧☔️ On days like this, two emotions arise. On some days, I’m so excited about the rain I cook up some Korean bar food such as Korean savory pancakes, tofu kimchi, etc., and have a makgeolli (Korean traditional rice wine) party. Of course, finish the night with karaoke. Lol! And some days, I’m really stuck in bed and don’t want to get out, don’t even want to move my fingertips, just watch YouTube all day and not do anything. The recipe I’m sharing today is for the days like the second. This is the recipe I often make on cloudy, rainy days when I don’t want to do anything but be in bed. Just having this pasta and a glass of wine or two seems to change my mood.
I always have spaghetti in my pantry (Thanks to Costco! Lol!). Having garlic, green onions, chilis, and mushrooms in the refrigerator is essential in my kitchen. So I can whoop up this recipe any time of the day, any day of the year. Hope this recipe can help you cheer up your mood as well if you don’t have any motivation to move out of the bed.
Let’s get started!
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add a generous amount of salt. Cook 1/2 lb of spaghetti by following the directions of the package you’re using. I love using spaghetti for this recipe because spaghetti is my favorite form of pasta, but you could use any shape of pasta you like or even different types of noodles too. Honestly, instant ramen noodles work amazing for this recipe! 😋
Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Add 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 5 to 6 cloves of sliced garlic, 2 to 3 chopped green onions, 1 red chili or 1 tsp red chili flakes, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Keep stirring until you can smell the aroma from the garlic and green onion, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Add Yondu (Korean fermented vegetable sauce) and sauté everything for 1 to 2 minutes. You can substitute Yondu with fish sauce if you like. Sauteing Yondu in the oil with the aromatic vegetables boosts the flavor and creat umami.
Add 10 to 12 oz of mushrooms and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked and softened. I like to use shimeji mushrooms for this recipe, but you can use any mushrooms of your choice.
Add a splash of mushroom or regular soy sauce to bump up the flavor and fragrance of the sauce.
Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet, and mix everything well. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta water as needed. Turn off the heat, and use the pan to toss the pasta to coat the spaghetti evenly with the sauce for about 30 seconds. This action is called “Mantecare” in Italian. This creates a more creamy texture sauce, almost like whipped.
Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Spicy Garlic Mushroom Pasta
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb spaghetti
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 5 to 6 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped
- 2 to 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 red chili or 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp Yondu, Korean fermented vegetable sauce (you can substitute with fish sauce)
- 1/2 tsp mushroom soy sauce or regular soy sauce
- 10 to 12 oz shimeji mushrooms, separated into individual stalks or any mushrooms of your choice, sliced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add a generous amount of salt. Cook the spaghetti by following the directions of the package you’re using.
- Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Add olive oil, garlic, green onion, chili, salt, and pepper. Keep stirring until you can smell the aroma from the garlic and green onion, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add Yondu and sauté everything for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked and softened.
- Add cooked spaghetti to the skillet, and mix everything together well. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta water as needed. Turn off the heat, and use the pan to toss the pasta to coat the spaghetti evenly with the sauce for about 30 seconds. This action/skill is called Mantecare in Italian. This creates a more creamy texture sauce, almost like whipped. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
- Cook Time: 10 mins
