(Soy) Shrimp... and White Wine!

I have a vague memory of eating shrimp scampi pasta about 7 years ago. I think it was at a Red Lobster and I'm pretty sure I got food poisoning right after. It was one of those all you can eat deals and I remember thinking after taking the last bite "I'll never do this again." I wasn't even vegetarian at the time, but that was the last time I ever ate shrimp.

Today's recipe post is nothing like what I was served at Red Lobster. It is awesome. It is somewhat inspired by the whole shrimp scampi idea and gives me an excuse to use obscene amounts of garlic... (and booze!) Prepare to offend everyone in your path for the next 18-24 hours. It's gonna rule!

King Oyster Mushroom Scampi and Pasta

• 2 large King Oyster (Eryngii) mushrooms, chopped
• Enough pasta (spaghetti, angel hair or linguine) for 2 servings
• 4 tablespoons of vegan margarine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3-4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon)
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, minced (the more the better)
• 2 teaspoons shallot or onion powder
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (about a large handful)
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

Before you begin to prep your mushrooms, get your water pasta water boiling. Wipe off the mushrooms with a damp cloth or paper towel. Cut each mushroom in half, lengthwise. Then chop into half moon pieces and set aside.

Heat the olive oil and 3 tablespoons of margarine in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-4 minutes. Toss in the garlic and onion/shallot powder and continue to saute everything for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Once the mushrooms and garlic begin to brown up around the edges, turn the heat down a touch and de-glaze the pan with white wine. Scrape up all the delicious brown bits and drop in the last of the margarine. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and allow the wine to bubble up. Continue tossing the mushrooms and garlic around until most of the wine has evaporated.

Add in the lemon juice, cooked pasta and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately.

Tips:

Be lazy like me and use angel hair pasta. It cooks up in 2 minutes and takes the hassle out of trying to time everything perfectly. Just drop the pasta into the boiling water right when you get the wine and mushroom mixture bubbling.

For more lemon-y pucker add a little fresh lemon zest.

Feel free to drink the rest of the wine with your meal.

If you're not a fan of mushrooms, you may still enjoy this meal. King Oyster mushrooms have a fruity, almost floral and delicate flavor reminiscent of abalone or scallops. They are less "earthy" tasting than most mushrooms and work great as a substitute for clams and shellfish. In the future I'll be posting a recipe for "Clam Chowder" using these guys, so look out for that. Enjoy!

V-V-Vegan Boys, V-V-V-Vegan Boys!