Creamy Miso Pasta Recipe | Weeknight Comfort Food

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

This creamy miso pasta delivers a satisfying umami fix. It’s a hassle-free weeknight dinner that doubles as a comfort food with thanks to its deliciously rich and luscious taste. A great one to serve your vegan guests too because it’s completely dairy-free.

A grey plate has been piled with creamy miso pasta, topped with mushrooms, shallots, and gomasio.

In This Article

What Makes This Recipe So Good

There are plenty of health-promoting ingredients in this recipe to love! Some add texture to the delicious creamy sauce, while others contribute to the umami flavor.

The star ingredient here is the Miso paste. This is a traditional condiment used in Japanese cuisine that comes with an abundance of health benefits. Its nutrient density means small but frequent amounts, deliver plenty of vitamins and minerals to our diet. Given it’s a fermented product, it also plays a role as a probiotic, which aids gut health in addition to being very rich in antioxidants, that aid overall health. Take a look at my garlic miso article to learn lots more about miso and how to use it.

Then we have the shiitake mushrooms containing anti-inflammatory compounds like beta-glucans and polyphenols. They’re also rich in B vitamins, minerals, and are a good source of dietary fibre too.

Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

This recipe has some bold flavors however they work incredibly well together to deliver a satisfying and delicious meal. If you’ve made recipes like my dairy-free pesto before, you’ll be no stranger to the miso and nutritional yeast used here. You’ll find both in most grocery stores.

All the ingredients needed to make this creamy miso pasta recipe are laid out across a table in small bowls.

Linguine or bucatini – The type of pasta used is important because it must be able to stand up to the heft of the rich creamy sauce in this recipe. Flat ribbon-like or long, tubed pasta is best, which is why I suggest using one of these two. Spaghetti would also work well.
Shiitake mushrooms – contribute a robust umami (savoury) flavour and a meaty texture. A great addition to a vegan or vegetarian meal. If you can’t find shiitake, check out this great article on the perfect shiitake mushroom substitutes.
White miso paste – adds both sweetness and earthiness, providing depth to the dish. If you can’t find this at the supermarket it will be available at Asian markets.
Nutritional yeast – the secret ingredient that imparts a cheesy, savoury note. This is an ingredient I use sparingly but one I like to include when creating vegan recipes. It gives you that big cheesy hit you’d get from something like Parmesan without adding dairy.
Mirin – this is used to deglaze the pan if the mushrooms start sticking. If you don’t have any, a splash of water is also fine.
Olive oil – adding richness and a good dose of antioxidants.
Coconut cream – used to enhance the creaminess of the sauce, which can be lacking without dairy.
Fresh garlic – provides pungency and is a great match for the shiitake mushrooms.
Green onions / shallots – used to garnish but also add pungency.
Gomasio or sesame seeds – to garnish. Nori flakes are another option.
Salt and black pepper – I always add a little fresh ground black pepper over the top to finish off the dish. Add salt to your taste.

While this is a dairy-free version it can easily be converted for the dairy lovers. Skip down to substitutions and variations to see how to do that.

How To Make This Creamy Miso Pasta Step By Step

This nutrient-rich, vegan miso pasta comes together in no time, making it a great post-work or quick and easy weekend meal.

All the ingredients needed to make creamy miso sauce are being added to a small blender.

A white hand is holding a large silver knife and chopping mushrooms on a wooden chopping board.

Creamy miso sauce is being poured into a frying pan filled with cooked mushrooms and garlic.

The creamy miso pasta recipe is being assembled. The sauce is being poured over cooked linguine.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine (or bucatini/spaghetti) and cook as per packet instructions until the pasta is al dente. The linguine I used cooked for 9 minutes.
In a small blender, add the miso, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast. Blend everything well by pulsing on high for a few seconds. Set aside.
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and allow to warm through then add in the chopped garlic and sauté until fragrant and golden (about 2 – 3 minutes). Add in the sliced mushrooms and the remaining salt then fry for 5 – 6 minutes or until browning on the edges. Add a splash of water or mirin to the pan if the mushrooms start to stick while cooking.
Pour the miso coconut cream sauce into the cooked mushrooms and warm through until simmering.
Drain the pasta, ensuring you reserve ½ cup of the pasta water in case it’s needed to help disperse the sauce evenly.
Place the drained pasta back in the pot, pour in the miso mushroom sauce. Mix thoroughly, and gently, to combine adding a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed.
Serve the pasta in 4 bowls, top with some ground black pepper, chopped green onions (shallots), and some gomasio, sesame seeds or nori flakes.

Gomasio is a traditional Japanese seasoning made from toasted sesame seeds and may sometimes include other ingredients like seaweed or spices. People commonly use it as a topping to enhance the overall taste of a dish, but it’s easily substitutable with toasted sesame seeds.

A white hand is twirling a fork in a bowl full of creamy miso pasta and mushrooms.

Substitutions And Variations

Types of miso paste

White miso paste is fantastic in this recipe because it adds a touch of sweetness. It balances some of the other, heavier ingredients perfectly. However, various types of miso work equally well. Red miso paste is another good option if that’s what you have.

Making the recipe gluten-free

A quinoa and rice pasta or a general gluten-free pasta would both be great with the miso mushroom sauce.

For the spice lovers

If you would like to make this a spicy miso pasta, add in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes while you’re cooking the mushrooms. A small enough amount that you’ll feel the warmth of the spice but not overpower the other flavours.

Using dairy

If you’d prefer to have dairy in this recipe that can easily be done by subbing in butter, cream, and parmesan. To do this, replace:

1.5 cups of coconut cream with heavy cream
1/2 cup of nutritional yeast with ½ to ¾ cup of grated parmesan cheese (depending how cheesy you like it!).
Add 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to the frying pan to cook the mushrooms in.

Everything else remains the same!

Looking down onto a grey plate with a big serve of miso mushroom pasta. Another plate can just be seen above it.

Storing/Freezing/Make Ahead

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, warm some olive oil in a frying pan with a splash of water. This will stop the pasta sticking. Add in the amount of pasta you’d like and stir gently for 5-6 minutes or until completely warmed through.

The recipe is not suitable for freezing or to make ahead. It’s at it’s best when made fresh however, it’s super quick and easy so can even be pulled together when guests are on their way.

Expert Hints And Tips

Garlic will burn easily if it’s tossed into very hot oil. With this in mind, it’s important that you’re frying pan is on a medium heat. Burnt garlic will make the dish taste bitter and we don’t want that.

If you don’t have a large frying pan cook the mushrooms in two batches. Crowding them in the pan will steam rather than fry them. No frying means no nice crispy edges.

FAQ

Can I leave out the mushrooms?

Yes! If mushrooms aren’t you’re thing you can leave them out entirely or replace them with some baby spinach. That way you’re still getting some veg in.

Can I use a different kind of pasta?

Spaghetti or bucatini work equally well with this delicious creamy vegan sauce if you can’t find or don’t have linguine.

Other Delicious Comfort Foods To Try

If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!