Five-Ingredient Creamy Miso Pasta

By Alexa Weibel

Published April 22, 2020

Five-Ingredient Creamy Miso Pasta
Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Carrie Purcell.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(11,469)
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
  • 16ounces spaghetti, linguine or bucatini
  • 6tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3tablespoons white (or red) miso
  • 4ounces 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)

744 calories; 29 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 89 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 30 grams protein; 923 milligrams sodium

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 1½ cups pasta water, then drain the pasta.

  2. Step 2

    Add the butter, miso and 1¼ 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.

Ratings

5 out of 5
11,469 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.

Lili

My partner, a great cook, was skeptical about this recipe. But I made it last night and it was a huge hit. The only addition: sautéed shrooms. So good. Reminded us of carbonara. Add the dried seaweed: was a unique and very favorable flavor enhancer.

dropping by again

dropping by again to comment that this is still by far and away my favorite NYT recipe!! I have made this so many times I’ve the years … a staple and very forgiving dish. really fun to play around with too … adding leeks, king oyster mushrooms, scallions, and/ or zucchini have made excellent additions.

Janet Helgeson

Added zucchini to salted boiling water with spaghetti. Added fresh basil and garlic to water/miso/parm and stirred to create the sauce. Added cooked spaghetti to sauce, seasoned to taste. Delicious.

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