Creamy Miso Mushroom Pasta (Printer-Friendly)

Savory mushrooms meet creamy miso sauce in this quick Japanese-Italian pasta fusion

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz spaghetti or fettuccine

→ Vegetables

02 - 14 oz mixed mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, or button), sliced
03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

→ Sauce

06 - 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
07 - 2 tbsp white miso paste
08 - 1/4 cup vegetable broth
09 - 1 tbsp soy sauce
10 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
11 - Black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tbsp fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped
13 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese (optional)
14 - Toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, about 7 minutes.
03 - Add onions and garlic to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
04 - Push vegetables to one side of the pan. Melt butter in the cleared space, then stir in miso paste. Mix with soy sauce and vegetable broth, whisking until smooth.
05 - Lower heat to medium, pour in cream, and stir to combine. Simmer gently for 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens.
06 - Add cooked pasta to the skillet, tossing with reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce. Season with black pepper. Divide among plates and garnish with fresh herbs, cheese (if using), and toasted sesame seeds.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The miso transforms ordinary cream sauce into something deeply savory and complex
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like you spent hours perfecting it
  • That golden mushroom flavor gets amplified instead of drowned out
02 -
  • Miso paste can seize up if added directly to hot cream, so always dissolve it in the broth first
  • Do not crowd the pan when cooking mushrooms or they will steam instead of getting that coveted golden crust
  • The sauce continues thickening off heat, so remove it slightly earlier than you think is necessary
03 -
  • Use white miso for a milder flavor or red miso if you want a more intense, fermented kick
  • Grate some fresh nutmeg over the top right before serving for a subtle warmth that people cannot identify

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