Spaghetti with Shrimp & Mushrooms
Submitted by cp
Spaghetti with shrimp and mushrooms tossed in a creamy Parmesan egg sauce with anchovy paste and dry mustard. A carbonara-style pasta dinner with stir-fried seafood and scallions.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThis shrimp and mushroom spaghetti borrows the carbonara technique of tossing hot pasta with a beaten egg and cream mixture so the residual heat cooks the egg into a silky, clinging sauce. Parmesan, dry mustard, and a hit of anchovy paste give it a savory depth that straight cream sauces can’t touch.
The stir-fry step is quick. Mushrooms go in first to drive off moisture and pick up some color. Then the shrimp and scallions join for just a couple minutes until the shrimp turn pink. Overcook the shrimp and they’ll turn rubbery, so pull the pan as soon as they’re opaque.
Here’s the trick that makes the sauce work: drain the pasta into a colander set over the serving bowl. The boiling water heats the bowl so the egg mixture doesn’t seize up on contact with cold ceramic. That warm bowl gives you a few extra seconds of gentle heat to get the sauce smooth.
Pro Tips
- Prep everything before you start cooking. Once the pasta hits the water, the timing moves fast.
- The anchovy paste is optional but highly recommended. It doesn’t taste fishy in the finished dish. It just adds umami.
- Toss the pasta and egg mixture vigorously. Standing still means scrambled eggs instead of a creamy sauce.
- Shell and devein the shrimp ahead of time to cut down on active cooking time.
Variations
- Use linguine or fettuccine for a wider noodle that catches more sauce.
- Swap shrimp for bay scallops and reduce the stir-fry time by a minute.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the skillet with the garlic for gentle heat.
Ingredients
Directions
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.
Meanwhile, shell and devein the shrimp.
Slice the mushrooms.
Coarsely chop the scallions.
Chop the parsley (if using).
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the egg.
Stir in the cream, Parmesan, mustard, parsley (if using), anchovy paste (if using), and pepper; set aside.
In a large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat until hot but not smoking.
Add the garlic and mushrooms and stir-fry until the mushrooms are almost limp, about 5 minutes.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the shrimp and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add the scallions and stir-fry until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Place a colander over a large serving bowl.
Drain the pasta into the colander, letting the boiling water heat up the serving bowl.
Pour the water out of the serving bowl and add the drained hot pasta.
Pour the beaten egg mixture over the hot pasta and toss to cook the eggs as well as to coat the pasta.
Add the shrimp-vegetable mixture and toss to evenly distribute.
Serve hot.
TIMESAVERS: DO-AHEAD: The shrimp can be shelled and deveined ahead.
The mushrooms and scallions can be cut up ahead.
And the beaten egg mixture can be prepared a short while before cooking.
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