Soy Sauce Butter Pasta with King Oyster Mushrooms

Several years ago, K and I had lunch at a small noodle shop in Tokyo, where they only serve various kinds of spaghetti dishes. They ranged from spaghetti bolognese to soy sauce butter pasta. I opted for the latter since it’s uncommon in the States. Combining soy sauce and butter wasn’t new to me, as I had many servings of rice, soy sauce, butter, and eggs growing up. I just never had it with spaghetti and seaweed. Anyway, I was blown away by this simple dish, so K figured out how to recreate it when we returned home. Because K felt his way through it, he doesn’t have exact measurements. As long as you find the right balance of ingredients for you, that’s all that matters.

This one’s for you, Josh!

 

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Soy Sauce Butter Pasta with King Oyster Mushrooms 

1 (11 oz) pack King Oyster mushrooms, cut into small pieces resembling sticks of gum
1 Tbsp olive oil
8-10 cloves garlic, minced 
3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp oregano
½ cup white wine
¼ cup or 5 ‘glugs’ soy sauce
black pepper
1 box spaghetti
dried seaweed, cut into matchsticks 

1) Sauté garlic in olive oil and a small knob of butter.
2) Add red pepper flakes, to your taste.
3) After a few minutes, add the mushrooms and oregano.
4) Sauté for a couple minutes and then add white wine.
5) Sauté for another 3-5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
6) Add the soy sauce, to your taste.
7) Stir in about a ⅓ of a stick of butter.
8) Finish it off with black pepper, to your taste.
9) Cook spaghetti, according to package.
10) Pour sauce over cooked spaghetti.
11) Top pasta with dried seaweed.