Creamy Miso Mushroom Pasta is a restaurant quality, umami-packed, show-stopper of an easy dish that comes together in 30 minutes at home. It’s the best pasta dish you’ve probably never had. It just happens to be vegetarian, too!
Miso Mushroom Pasta
When I tell you this is a restaurant quality dish, I mean it. And I stand firm in my belief this is something even a beginner cook can make. It’s just a couple of steps and maybe a couple of unfamiliar ingredients thrown into the mix, but I’ll walk you through it because it is so worth it.
It’s a rich, creamy, mushroom pasta dish that is made for mushroom aficionados. I am crazy for mushrooms’ savoury qualities and meaty texture. This recipe pairs the food world’s two biggest umami vehicles -mushrooms and miso- in this unforgettable combination.
Date night at home gets a big upgrade with this recipe. Served with a side salad and a nice wine or mocktail, there simply isn’t anything better.
Mushroom Miso Pasta
“Wait! Isn’t miso a funky, salty, fermented soybean paste?” Yes. Yes, it is. And you may think I am crazy for adding it to a pasta dish, but let me tell you it works beautifully here.
Miso is used in Japanese cuisine to add a salty, savoury, umami presence to many dishes. For this dish, we use red miso which is a little stronger, funkier, saltier, and wilder than white miso. If you cannot find miso or prefer a little less assertiveness, you can substitute sweeter, milder white miso.
Whichever miso you choose can be overpowering when not tamed a bit or incorporated well, though, so we temper its funk with a little butter. I’m also a little salty unless tempered with butter, so I get it, miso. I do.
But oh the magic when you combine miso and butter! It is so hard to explain just how addictive the miso+butter+mushroom combination is.
To get the most beautifully balanced dish, we smash softened butter together with miso and whisk or whip it until it’s lighter in texture and even in hue throughout. Don’t skip this step! If you do, the miso may not “melt” into the sauce and lend its charm to the whole dish.
Miso Mushroom Leek Pasta
I’m hardly the first person to put miso and mushrooms together in pasta. Many folks include always delightful leeks. I did not the first time I made this simply because I had all of the ingredients I wanted except for leeks.
I did, however, have shallots and did feel like running to the store, so I made do. In the end, I’ve tried it with leeks and with shallots both and find them both delicious. That said, I give the edge to shallots both because they’re easier to keep on hand and I slightly prefer the texture they bring to this dish.
I’ve made this dish both with homemade pasta and store bought pasta and loved it both ways. Do not feel obligated to use fresh pasta, but it definitely brings something special if you have the time and inclination!
If you’re a big fan of mushrooms and looking for more ways to work them into your food life, I’m your gal! This luscious, mahogany, hearty Mushroom Stew recipe is a deeply satisfying, soul warming, and comforting dish that just happens to be vegetarian.
Crispy mushroom tacos with the works are for all my obsessive mushroom loving friends. It’s unapologetically mushroom forward, so this is not for you if you’re not into fungi. And rich, intensely mushroomy, garlicky, and creamy sauce that enrobed the tender but meaty mushrooms in Garlic Mushroom Stroganoff.
Miso Mushroom Pasta
Rate RecipeEquipment
- stockpot or pasta pot
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- whisk
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 pound long pasta bucatini, linguine, and spaghetti are all good choices.
- 8 ounces mushrooms I use a mix of whatever mushrooms look good and fresh, like shiitake, oyster, button, chestnut, etc…
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 teaspoons red miso paste
- 6 tablespoon butter softened
- 2 shallots minced
- 8 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- minced fresh parsley for garnish
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt it generously, then boil the pasta to just under al dente. This should take one minute less than the time listed on the box. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water just in case it’s needed for the sauce, and set the pasta aside.
- Whisk together the miso paste and softened butter until you have a fluffy paste. Set this aside as well.
- While the pasta cooks, break up the mushrooms (by cutting or pulling them apart) into bite sized pieces. Drizzle a scant tablespoon of the oil into a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over high heat. When the oil is shimmery, add about 1/3 of the mushrooms and let them sit without moving them for 1 minute. If your pan is smaller, divide the mushrooms into smaller batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Doing smaller batches allows the mushrooms to sear nicely without steaming them.
- After 1 minute, continue cooking for about 3-4 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are nicely browned. Transfer these to a plate, and repeat this process with the remaining oil and mushrooms.
- Return the pan to the burner and lower the heat to medium low. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil, swirl to coat, and scatter the shallots in the pan. Stirring constantly, cook the shallots until they are semi-translucent, then add the garlic to the pan. Cook the garlic, stirring constantly, just until fragrant.
- Raise the heat to medium, pour the white wine into the pan, and bring the wine to a boil. Use a wooden spoon to stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any fond that has formed. When the wine has reduced to about half its original volume, return the mushrooms to the pan.
- Add the miso butter and the heavy cream to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring gently. Add the pasta back in and toss gently to coat all of it. Salt to taste and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. If the sauce is too thick or tight, you can thin it a little with some of the reserved pasta water.
- Divide into 5 portions and garnish with minced parsley and fresh cracked black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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