Creamy miso pasta with fragrant shiitake mushrooms, garlic, and sesame oil. A little spicy, a lot of savory and a ton of yum. A hearty and comforting vegetarian meal in 30 minutes!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's creamy. The starchy pasta water combined with heavy cream and parmesan cheese creates a luscious sauce that coats the noodles.
- It's full of umami flavors! Between the shiitake mushrooms, miso, and parmesan cheese we have a trifecta of umami goodness!
- It's made in 30 minutes. A comforting meal with loads of flavor that is quick and easy!
Ingredients
Ingredient Substitutions
- Fettuccine- I like using fettuccine because it's wider than spaghetti and can hold the creamy sauce. But really, you can use any pasta shape. If you have the time, I highly recommend making fresh pasta as it makes a world of a difference. Checkout my homemade pasta recipe!
- Shiitake mushrooms- porcini, portobello, cremini, oyster mushrooms or a mix will also work.
- Sesame oil- the sesame oil adds a nutty flavor to the dish but olive oil and a little peanut butter can be used.
- Miso paste- I used white miso paste. Red miso paste also works. Miso paste has become a popular ingredient in Asian cooking and can be found at most major supermarkets.
- Rice vinegar- adds acidity to the dish to balance the saltiness. Try apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar if you don' have it on hand.
- Red pepper flakes- sriracha or chili paste like sambal will add a nice kick.
- White pepper- black pepper works in a pinch.
- Scallions- the scallions add a sharpness to the dish to balance the saltiness and creaminess. Chives will also work well.
How to Make Miso Pasta
- Cook your pasta of choice in salted boiling water until al dente and reserve ½ cup of pasta water on the side. The starchy water will help thicken the sauce.
- In a skillet on medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and cook the mushrooms until golden brown and set aside. Spread the mushrooms out in a single layer so each one gets golden to its full potential.
- On medium low heat, add sesame oil and the remaining butter, and sauté the garlic until fragrant. Add miso paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and pasta water. Mix until the miso paste is dissolved and season with salt and white pepper to taste.
- Toss in the pasta and mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes. Top with more parmesan, scallions, and sesame seeds.
Tasty Tips
- Use fresh pasta! You won't know what you're missing out on until you make homemade fresh pasta. I kept this recipe simple with dried pasta, but I usually have a stash of fresh pasta in the freezer!
- Adjust the spiciness to your taste!
- Add other vegetables like spinach, peas, or zucchini!
FAQs
Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning made by fermenting soybeans with salt, rice or barley and other ingredients.
It adds a salty and savory flavor to dishes and comes in white or red varieties. White miso is sweeter while red miso is saltier and fermented longer.
For this recipe, I don't recommend storing leftovers and reheating as the consistency of the sauce changes. This dish is best enjoyed immediately to ensure a creamy sauce.
If you end up with leftovers, it can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove with a little bit of water.
You can cook the pasta and make the sauce ahead of time and store separately. When ready to serve, bring the sauce to a simmer and toss the pasta until heated through.
More Pasta Recipes You'll Love
- Creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake
- One Pot Sausage Peppers and Onions Pasta
Creamy Garlic Butter Miso Pasta with Shiitake Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 6 ounces fettuccine or pasta of choice
- ½ cup pasta water
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 heaping tablespoon miso paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese grated
- salt and white pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon scallion thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cook the fettuccine in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet on medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Sauté shiitake mushrooms for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Season with salt and set aside.
- In the same pan, add sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Reduce the heat to medium low, add miso paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and pasta water. Whisk until miso paste is fully dissolved and season with salt and white pepper to taste.
- Toss in the pasta and mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce coats the noodles.
- Top with more parmesan cheese, scallions, and sesame seeds if desired.
Barb says
It was pretty good, however, I think it may have been better if measurements of the ingredients would have been at the beginning. I found them after the dish was made and eaten!
Barb
Jenny says
Hi Barb- the recipe card is always at the bottom of the post.
Emily says
So, I actually made a vegan version of this, and it was fantastic!!! I used vegan butter, subbed extra creamy oatmilk for the cream, and just left out the parmesan. I put some cilantro on top cuz i didn't have any scallions. I will definitely make this again!