Meatless Friday: Black Pepper Shrimp Lo Mein

For Meatless Friday, Barb Szyszkiewicz shares a simple stir-fry recipe that works with your favorite vegetables. Download our printable recipe card.

I'm a big fan of lo mein, but I'm not a big fan of driving over to the Chinese takeout place to get some. It turns out that lo mein is easy to make with ingredients you can find in most supermarkets—plus you can use regular cooked spaghetti or linguine for the noodles. (I won't stop you if you want to use more authentic Asian noodles; this recipe works either way.) I've also made this with thinly sliced chicken instead of shrimp for a non-Friday meal. Go ahead and change up the vegetables depending on what you have on hand.

Black Pepper Shrimp Lo Mein

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

3/4 lb. raw shrimp, peeled, tails removed (use whatever size you like; generally I get medium or large, depending on what's on sale)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp ginger paste or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for the pan (about 2 tbsp)
1 medium onion, sliced
3/4 c snow peas or thinly sliced bell peppers
3/4 c carrots, thinly sliced or cut in matchsticks
1 c mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup bottled stir-fry sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
8 oz cooked spaghetti or lo mein noodles

Directions

Marinate the shrimp about 30 minutes in a mixture of garlic, salt, ginger, and black pepper.

Heat your heavy skillet or wok until it is very hot. Add vegetable oil to coat the pan. Quickly cook the shrimp (only about 2 minutes per side is needed for medium or large shrimp). Remove shrimp to a bowl. (I set the bowl in the microwave, without turning it on, to keep the shrimp warm.)

Add vegetables and stir-fry until done.

Mix stir-fry sauce and oyster sauce.

Add sauce to pan along with cooked shrimp and pasta. Toss to coat in sauce, then serve immediately.