Mushroom Miso Pasta (Without Cream) - Evergreen Kitchen (2024)

Why you'll love this recipe

• Weeknight favorite: This mushroom miso pasta is restaurant quality, without the fuss. It doesn't involve too many dishes or chopping. So, it's a great weeknight dinner.
• Ready in 25 minutes: If you're looking for a quick dinner recipe, make this pasta. The mushroom miso sauce comes together while the pasta cooks. Yes, it's that fast!
• Just 8 ingredients: The ingredients list is short and simple. Only 8 ingredients plus black pepper (which you probably already have).
• No cream: This recipe doesn't call for any cream. Instead, it uses a mix of butter, cheese, and pasta water for a creamy, umami-rich sauce.

Ingredients (and substitutes)

This miso pasta recipe has just 8 ingredients (plus pepper). Here's what you need:

• Mushrooms: Use your favorites here. We like a combination of shiitake and cremini. And, sometimes we'll add some "wild mushroom" mix too. But, it's not necessary!
• Pasta: Bucatini is our favorite noodle for this pasta. It's like a slightly thicker spaghetti, but with a hole in the middle. This allows the noodle to get coated and filled with sauce. So, it's excellent for creamy sauces like this recipe. If you can't find bucatini, substitute with a similar long noodle like linguine or spaghetti.
• Miso Paste: Use white miso (also known as "Shiro miso") for this recipe. It's the mildest, lightest in color, and easiest to find at the grocery store.
• Scallions (Green Onions): This pasta uses the whole scallion—but adds it at different times for the best color and flavour. The white and light green part cook with the garlic butter. The dark green section gets minced and added to the hot pasta at the end.
• Sriracha: This recipe uses a bit of sriracha for balance. The goal isn't for the pasta to be spicy. But rather, Sriracha adds a touch of acid (from vinegar) and a hint of spice. It's subtle but really makes the flavors pop.
  • If you're out of sriracha, here's our ranking of the best sriracha substitutes (use #1 or #2, or otherwise leave out).

Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

How to make (step-by-step photos)

This creamy miso mushroom pasta is so easy! It's ready in 25 minutes or less. Perfect for weeknight dinner. Here's how to make this recipe:

Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

Servings 2

Author: Bri

• ▢ 8 oz mushrooms (such as: cremini, shiitake, wild mushroom mix, see note 1)
• ▢ 2 scallions (green onions)
• ▢ 6 oz dried bucatini (or linguine, spaghetti)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter (see note 2)
• ▢ 2 cloves minced garlic
• ▢ 2 tablespoons white miso (see note 3)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons sriracha
• ▢ ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (more for garnish, see note 4)
• ▢ Black pepper (to taste)

US Customary - Metric

• Prep veggies: Rinse 8 oz mushrooms in cold water (no need to pat them dry—see note 1). Slice mushrooms. Thinly slice the white and light green parts of 2 scallions (for cooking). Then, mince the dark green part of the scallions and set aside (for finishing).

• Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 6 oz dried bucatini and cook until al dente according to package directions. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside, then drain noodles.

• Meanwhile, sear mushrooms: Heat a large dry skillet over medium-high heat. (It's hot enough when you flick water on the pan and large droplets bounce and skid around). Scatter mushrooms in skillet. Cook, stirring infrequently, until water has evaporated and mushrooms are brown on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes (see note 1). Reduce heat to low, and continue cooking mushrooms for about 1 minute while the skillet cools slightly.

• Build sauce: Push mushrooms to the edges of the skillet. In the middle of the skillet, add 3 tablespoons butter, 2 cloves minced garlic, and the white/light green parts of the scallion. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then stir to coat mushrooms in butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is pale golden (avoid burning), 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons white miso , 2 teaspoons sriracha, and ⅔ cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. (Save remaining pasta water for finishing step). Whisk until the miso evenly mixed into a smooth sauce.

• Finish: Add cooked pasta to the skillet, toss until well coated. Scatter in ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese and the minced dark green part of the scallions. Toss again, adding splashes of extra pasta water if/as needed, until the noodles are coated in a silky sauce. Finish with Black pepper and more Parmesan cheese, to taste.

1. Mushrooms:We recommend a mix of cremini, shiitake, and/or a wild mushrooms. But use your favorites. This recipe calls for "dry sauteing" mushrooms in a really hot pan without any oil. This method quickly draws out moisture from the mushrooms (including residual water from rinsing) and browns them—before adding the oil. High heat is important, so it's best to use a stainless steel skillet.
2. Butter: Unsalted butter is recommended, but store-bought salted butter should work too. Just avoid a butter that's super salty since this recipe has other salty ingredients (miso, cheese). Use a vegan butter substitute if needed.
3. White miso: Also known as Shiro Miso. This is the lightest and mildest variety of miso. And, typically the easiest to find in conventional grocery stores.
4. Parmesan: ¼ cup of finely grated powdery Parmesan weighs 1 oz. To quickly grate Parmesan into a "powder", add chunks of cheese to a food processor or blender. If using a microplane, you'll need closer to ½ cup to get the same 1 oz weight because it yields lighter, fluffier shreds. If you need vegetarian-friendly Parmesan, look for one made with "microbial enzymes" rather than "rennet". Alternatively, Parmesan can be substituted for another Italian hard cheese, such as Asiago.