A richly comforting bowl of cheesy, creamy noodles oddly seemed like it might be out of the scope of the keto diet, because of the pasta. We tried subbing no-carb shirataki noodles for regular pasta to make a simple cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) pasta; this failed spectacularly, becoming a watery, cheesy mess. We learned that the starch exuded by regular noodles is what helps bind and emulsify a cheesy sauce.
We didn’t have that here so we turned to a combination of heavy cream and cream cheese for their emulsifying and binding properties, keeping a healthy dose of Pecorino to thicken and season the sauce. This worked well but the sauce was still watery. Then we found that dry-frying the noodles first in an empty skillet drove off excess moisture successfully. To make a fully composed dish, we added crispy mushroom nuggets and savory baby spinach. Shirataki noodles are often sold precooked in 7- to 8-ounce packages. Thoroughly drain and rinse the noodles before using them. You can find shirataki noodles in the international aisle of most well stocked supermarkets or at your local Asian market. You will need a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a lid for this recipe. To quickly soften the cream cheese, microwave it for 20 to 30 seconds.
Jump to RecipeInstructions :
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and salt, cover, and cook until mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 minutes.
- Uncover and continue to cook until mushrooms are well browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to bowl. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.
- Add noodles to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until dry, about 3 minutes; transfer to bowl. Add ½ cup Pecorino, cream, cream cheese, and pepper to now-empty skillet and cook, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat until fully combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently fold in noodles and spinach and cook until heated through and spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and adjust consistency with hot water as needed. Sprinkle individual portions evenly with mushrooms and remaining ½ cup Pecorino before serving.
Creamy Noodle With Spinach And Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces cremini mushrooms trimmed and chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 2 7- to 8-ounce packages shirataki noodles, rinsed and drained well
- 2 ounces Pecorino Romano grated (1 cup), divided
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 ounces 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and salt, cover, and cook until mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 minutes.
- Uncover and continue to cook until mushrooms are well browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to bowl. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.
- Add noodles to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until dry, about 3 minutes; transfer to bowl. Add ½ cup Pecorino, cream, cream cheese, and pepper to now-empty skillet and cook, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat until fully combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently fold in noodles and spinach and cook until heated through and spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and adjust consistency with hot water as needed. Sprinkle individual portions evenly with mushrooms and remaining ½ cup Pecorino before serving.