Miso Sauce for Pasta

Yellow miso brings a deep, savory umami punch to pasta that cream and butter can’t touch. This simple sauce starts with scallions and garlic sauteed in safflower oil, then gets whisked with miso paste and warm vegetable stock into a silky, savory coating for noodles.

The trick is adding the stock slowly while stirring. Miso is thick and salty, and dumping liquid in all at once leaves you with lumps floating in thin broth. A gradual pour while you whisk gives you a smooth, emulsified sauce. Adjust the stock amount to your preferred thickness.

Fresh parsley stirred in at the end brightens the whole dish and keeps it from feeling heavy despite all that umami richness.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t boil the miso. High heat kills the beneficial cultures and dulls the flavor. Mix it off the heat with warm stock, not boiling.
• Use yellow miso for a milder, sweeter sauce. Red or dark miso works but will be saltier and more intense.
• Toss the sauce with hot pasta right away. The starchy pasta water that clings to the noodles helps the sauce grip.
• This is a single-serving recipe. Scale up easily by multiplying ingredients.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of sesame oil and top with toasted sesame seeds for a more Japanese-leaning flavor.
• Toss in sauteed mushrooms or wilted spinach to bulk up the dish.
• Use soba noodles instead of Italian pasta for a fusion bowl that leans more toward Japanese flavors.