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This easy Japanese-style pasta with shrimp and a nori cream comes together in in the time it takes to boil a pot of pasta.
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Japanese Shrimp Pasta with Nori Cream Sauce

In just 15 minutes, you can whip up this heavenly Japanese shrimp pasta which merges plump garlicky shrimp with a velvety nori cream sauce and a surprising wasabi-like kick from peppery watercress. The combination strikes the perfect balance between decadence and freshness, and it's easy enough to prepare for a weeknight meal.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese-Western
Keyword pasta, wafu
Level Beginner
Main Ingredient Pasta, Shellfish
Diet Low Sugar, Pescatarian
Prep Time 4 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 3 servings
Calories 554kcal
Author Marc Matsumoto

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 6 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 200 grams spaghetti
  • 200 grams shrimp (peeled and deveined)
  • 7 grams garlic (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 grams nori (2 full sheets)
  • ¾ cup cream
  • 25 grams watercress (chopped, with tips reserved)
Grams + US Cups - US Standard

Instructions

  • Add the 6 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt to a pot and bring it to a full boil. Next, add the 200 grams spaghetti and submerge it into the boiling water. Set the timer for 2 minutes less than what the package directions say.
    6 cups water, 1 tablespoon salt, 200 grams spaghetti
    Salting boiling water for pasta.
  • While you wait for the water to boil, add the 200 grams shrimp, 7 grams garlic, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce to a bowl, and stir them together to coat the shrimp evenly.
    200 grams shrimp, 7 grams garlic, 1 teaspoon soy sauce
    Marinating shrimp with garlic and soy sauce.
  • When the pasta has about 5 minutes left on the timer, heat a frying pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and shrimp, and spread them out in a single layer.
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    Pan-frying shrimp.
  • Fry the shrimp until they turn orange around the edges (about 30 seconds), then flip them over.
    Flipping shrimp over in a frying pan.
  • When no gray is left on the shrimp, transfer them to a clean bowl, and set them aside.
  • Add the 8 grams nori and ½ cup of boiling liquid from the pasta and stir until the nori has dissolved.
    8 grams nori
    Mixing nori sauce for for Japanese shrimp pasta.
  • If the pasta has over 1 minute left on the timer, turn off the heat and wait. Otherwise, add the ¾ cup cream and turn up the heat to bring it to a boil.
    ¾ cup cream
    Stirring cream into nori for Japanese pasta.
  • Transfer the spaghetti straight into the nori cream sauce with tongs when it is done. Toss the pasta in the sauce and let it finish cooking. Add more pasta liquid to keep it loose and slippery if it starts sticking together.
    Tossing spaghetti with Japanese nori cream sauce.
  • Return the shrimp to the pan along with the chopped 25 grams watercress and toss to combine.
    25 grams watercress
    Adding shrimp and watercress to nori cream pasta.
  • Plate the shrimp pasta by twirling it onto two plates and then garnish it with the watercress tips.
    Garnishing a plate of Japanese shrimp pasta with watercress.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 554kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 2565mg | Potassium: 432mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1279IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 1mg