Five-Ingredient Creamy Miso Pasta

By Alexa Weibel

Published April 21, 2020

  • Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Carrie Purcell.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(13,404)
Comments
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This one-pot pasta comes together in minutes, and requires zero prep and minimal cleanup. It builds on the classic combination of pasta, butter and cheese with a spoonful of miso paste for complexity. But you could experiment with using any other condiments or spices you have on hand, such as red pesto, curry paste or ground turmeric in place of the miso. To achieve a silky smooth pasta, you’ll need to put your cacio e pepe skills to work: Vigorously toss the pasta, grated cheese and pasta water together to achieve a properly emulsified sauce. Top with shrimp, edamame, frozen peas or any steamed vegetable. The optional nori or furikake imparts an unexpected flavor of the sea, and it’s worth using if you have it on hand.

Featured in: This Simple Five-Ingredient Pasta Has Loads of Flavor

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • Kosher salt

  • 16 ounces spaghetti, linguine or bucatini

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 3 tablespoons white (or red) miso

  • 4 ounces Parmesan, finely grated (1 packed cup)

  • Kizami nori, furikake or thinly sliced seaweed snacks, for garnish (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

89 grams carbs; 71 milligrams cholesterol; 745 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 29 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 924 milligrams sodium; 30 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1 ½ cups pasta water, then drain the pasta.

  2. Step 2

    Add the butter, miso and 1 ¼ cups pasta water to the pot and whisk over medium heat until miso breaks down and liquid is uniform, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pasta and Parmesan and cook, stirring vigorously with tongs until cheese is melted and sauce emulsifies. (The key word here is “vigorously.” To achieve a silky smooth pasta instead of a gloppy one, put your cacio e pepe skills to work.)

  3. Step 3

    Divide among shallow bowls and sprinkle with nori or furikake, if using.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
13,404 user ratings
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Comments

vanessa

I absolutely cannot, in good conscience make this again. In the span of far less than 24 hours, the entire recipe was consumed. I am quarantining ALONE.

Juliette ****

I made this tonight and think this simple dish will make a difference in my life. Since losing my husband to cancer, I’ve lost my appetite and interest in cooking. Usually, around dinner time, I’m too tired and depressed, and slap together a sandwich, add a pre-made organic salad and call it done. I love miso, and recently visited a Japanese grocery store and bought a large bag each of organic red and yellow miso, having white miso already at hand. Next time, I’ll add garlic. Shiitakes?!

Sam

Heat off when cheese goes in the pot.

Amy C

This is so good. It's very easy to adapt for one portion if you wish. 4 oz spaghetti (dry), 1.5 T butter, 1 scant T miso, 1 oz. parm. If you feel like gilding the lily, toast some panko in a little oil or butter and sprinkle over the top. RIght up there with Dan Pelosi's pastina, it's one of the quickest ways to bring you back to life after a tough day, along with a big glass of red wine.

Kayla

3.5 stars. It was fine, but nothing to rave about. I'll eat the leftovers, but I probably won't make it again. Try as I might, even with adding the cheese very gradually, off the heat, I still had some cheese globs. I added sauteed shitake mushrooms and spinach and topped with snipped scallions from my garden. The best thing about this recipe is that I used up the last of the white miso that's been languishing in my fridge.

jenine

This is an AMAZING dish for dinner! I usually use linguini but tried it with rigatoni tonight and I added cherry tomatoes and shredded chicken breast for extra protein. It’s a go to pasta dish for us.

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