Recipes
Pasta With Miso, Parmesan and Pickled Peppers
A little miso paste and a dash of soy sauce add umami complexity to this simple garlicky pantry pasta, while using pickled peppers, instead of the usual chile flakes, lends acidity as well as heat. Mild white miso works best here, integrating seamlessly with the other flavors. But you can substitute yellow or red miso if that’s what you have on hand; just take care when adding extra salt, tasting as you go.
Ingredients
- Salt, as needed
- 8 ounces spaghetti, bucatini, linguine or other long pasta shape
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped pickled peppers, such as pepperoncini, jalapeños or cherry pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then season it liberally with salt; it should taste as salty as the sea. Add pasta to the pot and cook until just shy of al dente (check package directions and subtract a minute or so). Using a mug or measuring cup, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain pasta well.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the miso, soy sauce and ½ cup pasta water, and whisk until the miso melts and the mixture is smooth.
- Toss in the pasta, Parmesan and pickled peppers. Using tongs, keep tossing until everything is well combined and the pasta is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes, adding more pasta water as needed to make things saucy. Season with more salt, if needed, and serve immediately.