This Mushroom Miso Pasta is a tasty twist on a classic creamy pasta dish. It's a cozy, flavorful dish that will have you going back for seconds and maybe even thirds!
It's a creamy, savory dish that brings together the earthy flavors of mushrooms with the deep, rich taste of miso, creating a pasta that's anything but ordinary.
With minimal ingredients and quick prep time, it's an ideal recipe for busy weeknights when you crave something a little different but still utterly comforting.
Ingredient Notes
These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients. For a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.
Pasta: You can use any shape that you and your family love. Our favorites for this Mushroom Miso pasta are rigatoni or linguine. It is also great with a flat past like fafelle.
Mushrooms: You can use any available mushrooms. These photos were taken with small white mushrooms. But any combination of mushrooms will work. Try baby bellas, cremini, shitake, oyster, or enoki.
Vinegar: I usually use apple cider vinegar. But white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar will work, too. You could also use lemon juice.
White miso: Although I have specified white miso in the recipe, yellow miso would also work. Don't use red miso or saikyo miso. The first would be too salty, and the second would be too sweet.
Garlic: The recipe has 6 cloves, giving it a real garlic hit. Delicious! But as always, measure garlic with your heart!
Heavy Cream: You want heavy cream or thickened cream for this recipe. Half and Half will be too thin. If you do, you'll need to thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry.
Recipe Tips
We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you. Have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!
- Brown the mushrooms in two batches. I know it seems like a lot of effort, but if you try and do it in one batch, you don't get enough color on the mushrooms, and the color is where the flavor's at!
- Cook the garlic over low heat; you want it to soften and flavor the butter without coloring.
- Dissolve the miso in 2 tablespoons of boiling water (I usually scoop a little from the pasta pan). This will help it disperse into the butter without lumps.
- Before you drain the pasta, reserve at least a cup of the pasta cooking water. You'll need around ½ a cup to help thin the pasta sauce, but you may want to add more, so it's always better to reserve extra.
Why You'll Love This Mushroom Miso Pasta
- It has so much depth of flavor from very few ingredients.
- It is ready in under 30 minutes and is so easy to make.
- It is a great dish to make for vegetarians as the mushrooms add texture to the dish.
- You can use it as a side dish for chicken or steak.
Recipe Adaptations
These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.
- Mix up the types of mushrooms you use. A combination of mushrooms always looks beautiful.
- Add a handful or two of baby spinach or kale leaves at the end of the cooking. They will wilt into the sauce very quickly.
- Stir in cooked chicken or pork. Shrimp or scallops would also pair well with the creamy sauce.
- Add some heat with a pinch of red pepper flakes, a dash of hot sauce, or some diced fresh chili for a little kick.
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Serving Suggestions
Sides: This is a rich, flavor-packed pasta, so I always serve it with a peppery rocket/arugula salad. You could also go for something super savory, like a roasted broccoli side dish.
Wines: My favorite wine, Viognier, with its floral and slightly fruity character, balances the mushroom's earthiness and is delicious with the miso sauce. Or a lighter Chardonnay without heavy oak complements the umami of the miso and the earthiness of mushrooms without overpowering them.
If you prefer red wine, a light, earthy Pinot Noir is a great match, as it highlights the mushroom's earthy flavors without clashing with the miso. A light-bodied and fruity Gamay works well if you want a red that won't overwhelm the creamy sauce.
Enjoy x
Other delicious pasta recipes to try:
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Get the Recipe
Mushroom Miso Pasta
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 12 oz pasta (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the sauce
- 1 lb sliced mushrooms (see note 2)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vinegar (see note 3)
- 2½ tablespoon white miso (see note 4)
- 2 tablespoon water
- 5 tablespoon butter
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 cup heavy cream
For garnish
- green onions finely sliced
- black pepper
Instructions
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the salt and cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the packet instructions.1 tablespoon salt12 oz pasta
- Once cooked, reserve 1½ cups of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking
- Heat half the olive oil in a large skillet and add half the sliced mushrooms. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then stir and cook for a minute more. Remove these mushrooms and add the remaining oil and mushrooms. Cook in the same way and then remove from the skillet. (see note 5)3 tablespoon olive oil1 lb sliced mushrooms
- Sprinkle the vinegar over the mushrooms and set to one side.1 teaspoon vinegar
- Melt the butter in the skillet and cook the garlic over low heat for 2 minutes. Add in the miso and the water. Stir to dissolve the miso.5 tablespoon butter6 cloves garlic2½ tablespoon white miso2 tablespoon water
- Add the cream and bring to a boil.1 cup heavy cream
- Add the mushrooms back in, and then add the drained cooked pasta.
- Stir well to combine. Add ½ cup of the pasta cooking water and stir everything together until the pasta is coated in the sauce and cooked to your liking.
- Serve with black pepper and some sliced green onions.green onionsblack pepper
Notes
- You can use any shape that you and your family love. Our favorites for this Mushroom Miso pasta are rigatoni or linguine. It is also great with a flat past like fafelle.
- You can use any available mushrooms. These photos were taken with small white mushrooms. But any combination of mushrooms will work. Try baby bellas, cremini, shitake, oyster, or enoki.
- I usually use apple cider vinegar. But white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar will work, too. You could also use lemon juice.
- Although I have specified white miso in the recipe, yellow miso would also work. Don't use red miso or saikyo miso. The first would be too salty, and the second would be too sweet.
- Browning the mushrooms in two batches may seem like a lot of effort, but if you try and do it in one batch, you don't get enough color on the mushrooms, and the color is where the flavor's at!
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
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