It was a long time ago now that I first discovered the epic, umami-laden combination that is butter and soy sauce. I first tried it in a Japanese restaurant in New Jersey, of all places, when I was still in high school and didn’t like sushi (*gasp!*). Eschewing all of the raw fish on the menu, I chose a “soy sauce butter spaghetti,” which I had absolutely no expectations for (how good could it be…?), and it Blew. My. Mind. Of course at the time, I didn’t have a food blog and my thoughts generally didn’t stray too far from history tests and yearbook deadlines (dark days…), but it’s now time to share it with the world.

Ok, so butter and soy sauce. Separately, they’re awesome. Together, they’re…incredible. With the shrimp and the earthy shiitake mushrooms, the flavors of the soy sauce butter are heightened even more. You can probably make this for dinner tonight…all the ingredients are really simple and readily available. No excuse not to! If you can’t find shiitake mushrooms at the grocery store, any mushroom will work.

If you’re in the mood a vegetarian dish, then our ratatouille pasta and roasted choy sum pesto pasta are both must-try pasta recipes!

You’ll need:

10 oz. dried pasta of your choice (we used thin spaghetti)

olive oil

8 oz. shrimp, peeled, deveined, and thoroughly pat dry

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots, minced

8 oz. shiitake mushrooms (about 10-12), thinly sliced

1/3 cup white wine

3 tablespoons soy sauce (salt levels vary across different brands. Try to find a low sodium version)

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil for your pasta. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat, until the pan is almost smoking. Sear the shrimp just until opaque and crisp on the outside. Remove from pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic and shallots. Sautee until beginning to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and caramelize, 5-7 minutes. If the pan is looking a little dry, add a bit more olive oil.

Boil pasta according to package directions, drain, and reserve a cup of pasta water. Deglaze the mushrooms with white wine and cook for another two minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the cooked pasta, soy sauce, and butter to the pan and toss until the butter is melted. Add the shrimp, parsley, and Parmesan, and give everything a final toss.

Loosen it up with a bit of your reserved pasta water if needed.

Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that soy sauce is quite salty, so you may not need any more salt at all), and serve.

SO EPIC.

Note! If you want your Soy Sauce Butter Pasta a leeetle bit darker (more dramatic-like…), you can put a couple drops of dark soy sauce in there as well.

This Soy Sauce Butter Pasta with Shrimp and Shiitakes is so simple and so delicious, it will impress all of your friends and family!

Let us know what you think in the comments below!