This creamy miso pasta with mushrooms is an easy weeknight dinner ready in less than 30 minutes! It's packed with umami flavor, hints of garlic, and parmesan cheese. Vegan and gluten-free options are included.
I love taking classic dishes like Alfredo pasta and adding different ingredients to them for a fun twist.
Similar to my gochujang pasta, this creamy miso pasta recipe starts with basic ingredients like garlic, butter, parmesan, and heavy cream.
Thanks to the addition of white miso paste, it's then transformed into an umami-packed dish that's bursting with flavor in every bite.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's quick and easy to make, and ready with just 10 ingredients!
- A delicious spin on the classic Alfredo pasta, but with more flavor.
- It's customizable and versatile, you can add your favorite veggies or protein of choice!
- The best part? This miso pasta is ready in less than 30 minutes!
What is Miso?
Miso is a Japanese fermented paste that's salty, tangy, and umami. Depending on how long it's been fermented, the flavor can range from mild to strong, with funky and sour undertones.
It's usually made from soy, but can also be made from chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) or rice.
Miso paste is most commonly used in Japanese cuisine in dishes like miso soup, and miso ramen, as well as in marinades, sauces, or salad dressings, just like in my miso tahini salad dressing (not traditional, but delicious!).
Where can I buy miso paste?
You can usually find it in the Asian section of most big grocery stores. If not, it's best to look for it in local Asian markets.
You can also order miso paste on Amazon, or another online store.
Ingredients You Need
- Pasta of choice: You can use any pasta shape of your choice. I prefer spaghetti or linguine, but tagliatelle, penne, or rigatoni will also work. For a gluten-free option, use chickpea pasta or another gluten-free pasta of choice.
- Miso paste: This is the umami element that flavors the whole dish. You'll need to use white miso (aka light miso paste) for this recipe. It has a mild taste, but it's still packed with flavor.
- Shiitake Mushrooms: Any mushrooms you like will be delicious here!
- Cream: You can use heavy cream, coconut milk, or any vegan alternative such as soy cream.
- Unsalted butter: For making the miso pasta sauce and sauteing the mushrooms. Use vegan butter to make this recipe vegan.
- Garlic: IMO, no dish is complete without garlic. Yes, even pasta! When sauteed in butter and olive oil it gets fragrant and releases SO much flavor.
- Parmesan: For best results, use freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. I don't recommend using pre-gated parmesan because it's less flavorful. You can also use vegan parmesan, I like VioLife's Parmesan Wedge.
- Olive oil: For the sauce, and for coating the pasta after boiling.
- Salt + black pepper: For seasoning the pasta water, plus more to taste.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
How to Make Miso Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta following the packaging instruction, until al dente.
Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent it from sticking.
To a small bowl, add miso paste and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Mix using a whisk, until comply smooth and no clumps remain.
In a large skillet, melt some butter and saute the shiitake mushrooms over medium heat, until golden brown. Set aside for later.
Then, make the creamy sauce. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat and add the olive oil.
Heat until it starts to sizzle, then add minced garlic and saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Add the miso mixture, followed by heavy cream and a few cracks of black pepper.
Add the cooked pasta, and toss to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes over low heat, until the sauce thickens and sticks to the pasta.
Finally, add the parmesan cheese and stir once again. Serve with the fried shiitake mushrooms on top and enjoy!
Some optional toppings you can add are red pepper flakes, furikake seasoning, spring onions, or crushed nori flakes.
Expert Tips
- Use white miso paste. It's less salty and intense, and a bit sweeter than darker varieties of miso. It doesn't make the sauce taste funky, but it rather gives it an umami and savory flavor.
- Salt your pasta water like the ocean. This flavors the noodles from the inside out, and later flavors the sauce. I like to add at least 1 teaspoon of sea salt for every 3 liters of water.
- Don't overcook the pasta! It will continue to cook when it gets tossed with the sauce. Cook it just until it's al dente, meaning it will have a slight "bite" to it.
- Don't rinse the pasta, toss it with olive oil instead. Some people suggest rinsing the pasta to prevent it from sticking. I'm here to tell you this is bad advice. The starch in the pasta is essential for making a good sauce. To prevent it from sticking, add a generous drizzle of olive oil instead.
- Save some of the cooking water. Have you ever wondered how the sauces in Italian restaurants are so smooth and creamy and stick to the pasta? Well, pasta water is the secret. Because it has starch from cooking the noodles, it makes this miso pasta super creamy!
FAQ
If you don't have miso paste on hand, you can substitute it with 1-2 teaspoon of soy sauce and 2 tablespoon of sesame tahini. Mix them in a small bowl, then dissolve them with pasta water as you'd do with the miso paste. Note that this will change the flavor of the recipe.
Yes! Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. It's best to freeze the pasta separately from the sauce.
Stovetop: Add your pasta to a small pot, alongside a splash of water. Heat on medium-low heat, stirring often, until hot.
Microwave: Add pasta to a plate, and heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot, stirring halfway through.
Substitutions
You can make this miso pasta even if you don't have some of the ingredients. Here are the most common substitutions!
- Cream: You can use coconut milk or cashew cream if you want to make this recipe dairy-free. If you don't have any of those, you can use milk and a cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 4 tablespoon of cold water until dissolved) to thicken the sauce. You can also use my silken tofu pasta sauce for a healthier version that's high in protein too!
- Butter: You can use olive oil instead.
- Parmesan cheese: Substitute with vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.
- Pasta: You can use long ramen noodles or rice noodles instead.
Variations
This miso pasta leaves you with plenty of room for any of your favorite add-ins. Actually, adding veggies and protein can make this dish a complete meal.
- Add more veggies: You can add spinach, kale, bok choy, green peas, or any of your favorite vegetables here!
- Make spicy miso pasta: Add ¼ - ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a spicy kick.
- Add caramelized onion: You can caramelize a head of onion by slicing it thinly, then cooking it with olive oil in a frying pan. Saute it over medium-low heat for 45-60 minutes, stirring often. When ready, add as much as you want to your miso pasta and enjoy!
- Finish with sesame oil: Add ½ - 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil for some nutty flavor and a glossy finish.
- Make it vegan: Use vegan butter or olive oil, vegan cream, and vegan parmesan cheese.
- Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta such as chickpea pasta, rice noodles, etc.
Serving Suggestions
This miso pasta is delicious served on its own or with a piece of homemade garlic bread on the side.
It goes well with a combination of any kind of roasted veggies, such as roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted asparagus, or crispy roasted broccoli.
To add even more protein to this dish, serve it with my crispy air fryer tempeh, gochujang tofu, or eggplant tofu stir fry on the side.
Storage
Let the miso pasta cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge.
If the pasta and the sauce are stored separately, they can last for up to 5 days. If they have been mixed, they will keep for 3-4 days.
Similar Recipes
📖 Recipe
Creamy Miso Pasta
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet or a frying pan
- Dutch oven or another large pot
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt, for the pasta water
- 7 ounces (200g) pasta of choice I use spaghetti
- ½ cup pasta water
- 2 tablespoon white miso paste
- 2 tablespoon butter, divided
- 5 ounces (150g) shiitake mushrooms (optional, or other mushrooms of choice)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for coating the pasta
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ - ⅓ cup cream of choice (either heavy cream or vegan cream)
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (use vegan parmesan if needed)
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and stir. Cook the pasta following the packaging instruction, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining. Drain the pasta and add it to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil to prevent it from sticking. Set it aside.7 ounces (200g) pasta of choice
- To a small bowl, add miso paste and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Mix using a whisk, until comply smooth and no chunks remain.2 tablespoon white miso paste
- In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter and saute the shiitake mushrooms over medium heat, until golden brown. Cook in batches if needed, just don't overcrowd the pan! When ready, set aside for later.5 ounces (150g) shiitake mushrooms
- Then, make the creamy sauce. In a large pot, melt the rest of the butter (1 tbsp) over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Heat until it starts to sizzle, then add minced garlic and saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Add the miso mixture, followed by heavy cream and a few cracks of black pepper. Add the cooked pasta, and toss to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes over low heat, until the sauce thickens and sticks to the pasta. Add more pasta if needed to adjust the thickness of the sauce.¼ - ⅓ cup cream of choice, Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Finally, turn the heat off, and add the parmesan cheese. Stir once again. Serve with the fried shiitake mushrooms on top and enjoy!¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Some optional toppings you can add are red pepper flakes, furikake seasoning, spring onions, or crushed nori flakes.
Notes
- Fridge: Let the miso pasta cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge. If the pasta and the sauce are stored separately, they can last for up to 5 days. If they have been mixed, they will keep for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. It's best to freeze the pasta separately from the sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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