This smooth and creamy miso pasta recipe is super easy and nutritious. Ready in less than 10 minutes, this dish takes the classic umami flavor of miso and bolsters it with leafy green spinach creating a rich and healthy pasta sauce.
If you’ve already tackled my sun-dried tomato pasta and rainbow pasta, you’re ready to give this miso pasta a shot!
What is miso?
Miso is a traditional Japanese flavoring that is made by fermenting soybeans with koji and salt to form a thick paste. It offers a nut-buttery texture varying from smooth to chunky and tastes tangy, salty, and savory.
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Why you’ll love miso pasta
- Uses simple ingredients. Prepared using pantry staples like miso paste, pasta, and spinach.
- Savory taste. Miso is famous for having an umami flavor, and this pasta will tick all those tastebud boxes.
- Healthy. Did you know miso is full of health benefits? It’s great for immunity and packed with fiber too.
- Meal prep. This is a fantastic dish for meal prepping. Make in advance and taste the flavors develop over the next few days!
What I love most about this recipe is how versatile it is. It’s great on its own, or serve it with some protein for a well-balanced meal!
Ingredients needed
As mentioned earlier, this recipe calls for simple, everyday ingredients that you’ll likely have on hand. Here is what you’ll need:
- White miso paste. The star ingredient, perfect for flavoring this fusion Japanese pasta.
- Baby spinach. Packed with nutrients, the spinach helps to bolster the sauce’s taste and texture.
- Cilantro. For a spike of freshness.
- Sesame & vegetable oil. For moisture and richness.
- Vegetable broth. Adds body to the sauce.
- Minced garlic. Complements the savory taste of the sauce.
- Rice vinegar. A mild, slightly sweet vinegar to build a more complex sauce.
- Sugar & salt. To taste.
- Dry pasta of choice or ramen noodles. Choose your favorite pasta to use for this dish.
- Sesame seeds. To garnish.
How to make miso pasta
This simple pasta recipe follows a quick 4-step process. Ready to whip some up?
Step 1: Boil pasta
Set a pot of water to boil and salt the water for the pasta to absorb flavor. Once boiling, add pasta of choice and boil as per the pasta’s cooking instructions. Reserve a 1/3 cup of the pasta’s boiling water when draining.
Step 2: Prepare the miso sauce
In a blender or NutriBullet, combine the baby spinach, miso paste, cilantro, sesame oil, vegetable oil, broth, garlic, rice vinegar and sugar. Blend till smooth, and then taste and adjust levels of salt if necessary. Set aside.
Step 3: Combine the pasta and sauce.
Combine sauce with cooked pasta, adding a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid at a time if necessary, to loosen the sauce up.
Step 4: Garnish & serve!
Serve pasta on plates and sprinkle with toasted Sesame Seeds before enjoying!
Flavor variations
The beauty of this pasta recipe is just how easy it is to customize. Here are some suggestions:
- Miso paste variation. Use dark red miso instead of a lighter-colored one if you want a stronger, more pronounced taste.
- Add mushrooms. A blend of your favorite mushrooms sauteed in garlic adds an earthy and aromatic touch to the pasta.
- Use onions. You can add onions to pack in even more savory flavor.
Storage instructions
To store. Using an air-tight food container, any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
To freeze. It can be frozen using freezer-safe bags or air-tight containers for up to 3 months.
To reheat. Lightly splash with water before reheating in a saucepan or microwave.
More pasta recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
You can add it to countless meals. Mix some in your ramen noodles or mashed potatoes to spice them up, or use it as a salad dressing.
Miso goes great with strong and rich flavors. Nutty and starchy flavors seem almost to enhance it’s flavor a notch.
Miso Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups baby spinach
- 2 teaspoons white miso
- 1 1/2 cups cilantro
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt to taste
- 8 ounces pasta 250g dry pasta or ramen noodles
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted, for garnishing
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil, add a liberal amount of salt and cook pasta according to directions.
- Meanwhile, combine the baby spinach, miso, cilantro, sesame oil, vegetable oil, broth, garlic, rice vinegar and sugar in a blender. Blend till smooth and then taste and adjust levels of salt if necessary. Set aside.
- When pasta is cooked, drain and reserve 1/3 cup of the cooking water.
- Combine sauce with cooked pasta, adding a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid at a time if necessary, to loosen the sauce up.
- Serve pasta on plates and sprinkle with toasted Sesame Seeds before enjoying!
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