Easy Miso Pasta

This creamy miso pasta requires just a few simple, pantry staple ingredients and tastes like a gourmet meal. It’s cheesy, easy to make and perfect with spaghetti.

Cacio e pepe is one of my favorite pasta dishes, and this simple miso pasta is kind of a unique take on that dish! Miso is a thick paste made from fermented soybeans that is often used in Asian recipes. Think miso soup!

It has a very savory, salty, umami flavor with a toasty richness. It’s also high in probiotics so it’s great for digestion! Miso doesn’t taste like cheese exactly, but has a creamy, salty, tangy flavor that is somewhat similar to cream cheese or feta.

Important note! Some miso is fermented with barley or wheat so it is not always gluten free. Be sure to find a certified gluten free brand of miso as needed.

In this miso pasta recipe, we’ll combine it with flavors like shallot, garlic, butter and parmesan for a simple and creamy recipe that’s ready in under 20 minutes! If you love this recipe, try my peanut noodles, avocado pesto pasta or mushroom broccoli pasta next!

Key ingredients

BUTTER. A generous serving of butter will add a rich flavor to this pasta. You can sub for olive oil if you prefer.

SHALLOT/GARLIC. Just one shallot and a heaping tablespoon of garlic will add a lot of flavor to the sauce. I like to mince both really finely so it blends smoothly into the sauce.

MISO. Miso is a paste that is made from fermenting soybeans. It’s salty and adds a great umami flavor to this dish. I suggest white miso here!

PARMESAN. Parmesan will give it that rich cheesy flavor. We’ll mix it with some of the pasta water so it gets creamy.

SALT/PEPPER. I suggest going light on the salt since the miso adds saltiness, but a lot of pepper is delicious here!

How to make miso pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Make sure to save 1 1/4 cups of pasta water!

Add the butter to a saute pan and melt over medium heat.

Add in the minced shallot and garlic and saute for about 3-5 minutes. Whisk in the miso and saute for 1 additional minute. Whisk in the parmesan, salt, pepper and pasta water.

Combine until the cheese melts. If you want a super creamy sauce, you can transfer to a blender, but everything should melt together nicely.

Combine with the cooked pasta and toss until the pasta is well coated. Serve with red pepper flakes for a bit of spice and enjoy! Try my gluten free alfredo next!

Serving suggestions

Just as is! Because of the cheese and miso, this dish surprinslgy has a lot of protein in it already! If you just need something quick and satisfying for dinner, this recipe will hit the spot.

With chicken. You can make almost like a chicken alfredo and serve this miso pasta with grilled chicken or take the chicken recipe from my lemon chicken pasta!

Veggies. I love adding in some peas for something green, but sauteed mushrooms would pair really well with this miso pasta.

How to store and reheat

Once prepared, this miso pasta will keep in the fridge for about 3-5 days. I suggest reheating it on the stove with a splash of oil, milk or water to help the sauce get creamy again.

I have not tried freezing it since I of course used gluten free pasta and that doesn’t hold up very well, but otherwise I think it would be fine!

It’s easiest to freeze in smaller containers so you don’t have to defrost all at once and reheat on the stove.

Types of miso

This recipe calls for white miso, but there is also red miso which has a more pungent taste. White miso is more mild in flavor and blends really well with the parmesan, shallot and garlic.

Yellow miso is fermented for longer than white miso, but not as intense as red miso.

Can I make it vegan?

Miso is naturally vegan, but since this recipe calls for both butter and parmesan cheese, it is not vegan.

However, you can easily swap the butter for either vegan butter (I like Earth Balance) or olive oil. Then swap the parmesan for my homemade cashew parmesan or a store bought parmesan cheese!

Easy dinners you’ll love!

• Air Fryer Tofu
• Chili Garlic Noodles
• Gluten Free Hamburger Helper
• Spicy Ramen
• Tahini Pasta
• Sriracha Salmon Bowls
• Carrot Pasta

If you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. As always, if you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on instagram and leave a comment below so I can see your creation!