Recipe - appetizers

Spicy Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta with Kanzuri

Author Makiko Itoh for The Japan Times

Kanzuri is a delicious Red Chili Yuzu paste from Japan. This special condiment adds new flavor to this mildly spiced mushroom pasta recipe, taking comfort food to another level!

Ingredients

8 OZ (225 g) linguine or other pasta (such as Tagliatelle or Spaghetti)
Salt for pasta water
16 Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, heads and tails removed (such as Shrimp – Wild, P&D Tail-On, White)
3.5 OZ (100 g) shiitake or shimeji mushrooms, sliced or separated into clumps
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon sake
1 Teaspoon grated or finely chopped garlic
1/4 Medium onion, finely chopped
7 OZ (200 g) canned whole tomatoes (1/2 can)
2 Teaspoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon (or to taste) Kanzuri
Salt and black pepper to taste
Shredded Nori Seaweed and green Shiso leaves
Spicy Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta with Kanzuri

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the shrimp with sake and set aside.

2. Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Cook the pasta one minute less than the package directions indicate.

3.While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the mushrooms. Sauté until lightly browned. Add the garlic and onion, and sauté until the onion is wilted. Add the shrimp and sauté until just cooked, remove from pan to prevent the shrimp from over cooking.

4. Add the canned tomatoes to the pan, crushing them with a spatula. Put the shrimp back in and add the soy sauce. Add the Kanzuri and a little of the pasta water and stir until the Kanzuri is dissolved.

5. Drain the pasta, add to the frying pan, mix well with the sauce. Taste and add black pepper and salt if needed. Serve topped with shredded Nori Seaweed and green Shiso leaves.

Recipe and photo from The Japan Times