Miso butter pasta is a quick and easy recipe with deep umami undertones, a little heat and fragrance from both black and pink peppercorns.
This delicious recipe will come together in a shade over 15 minutes, and that includes all of the preparation!
Linguine in a Miso Butter Sauce
At first glance, the ingredients for this European/Japanese pasta recipe may seem like a bit of an oddity.
However, miso butter pasta is a pretty well-trodden path, for good reason too, it is delicious.
Miso is a fermented soybean paste, and it is famed for its rich umami flavour. I use it fairly traditionally in my miso noodle soup, but also as a glaze in my honey and miso salmon and miso Brussels sprouts recipes.
In this recipe, it forms a rich butter sauce with pecorino cheese, chives and a combination of pink and black peppercorns.
In some ways, this is a riff on the classic Lazio dish of cacio e pepe, and it is a bit of a stunner.
It is also quick and easy, there are very few ingredients, and it will go from your store cupboard to your table in around 15 minutes.
If your interest is piqued by the Japanese influences in this recipe, you must check out my take on the gloriously bonkers Japanese recipe, spaghetti Napolitan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use red or brown miso paste?
Yes, but red and brown miso paste is a little bolder than white miso paste, as a result, you may want to scale back the amount used.
Can I use parmesan rather than pecorino cheese?
Yes, although pecorino has a more pronounced acidic flavour. I usually use pecorino in vegetarian pasta recipes because Parmesan usually contains animal rennet. In my experience, vegetarian pecorino is much easier to find.
If you shift to parmesan, you may want to increase the acidity by adding an extra teaspoon of mirin.
What do pink peppercorns taste like?
Pink peppercorns are not hot in the same way black peppercorns are, they are fragrant and have an almost floral flavour.
Can I use a different type of pasta?
Yes, this sauce is versatile and it will work with everything from penne through to pappardelle and fusilli to tagliatelle.
Can I make this in advance?
I would not be tempted to try and cool and reheat this recipe because the pasta will become mushy. However, it is a really quick recipe, so it takes little time to bring together.
Serving Suggestions
When it comes to pasta recipes, I prefer to keep my sides simple and easy, I see little point in making a 15-minute dinner and having the sides take longer!
This miso butter pasta recipe is no different, and I usually opt for garlic baguette or some cheesy garlic bread with this recipe.
I have, however become a little obsessed with this soft potato focaccia recipe in recent months. I usually batch-make a load, keep it in the freezer and reheat it from frozen in an air fryer.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 20cm or 8″ saucepan.
- 25cm or 10″ frying pan.
- Whisk.
- Kitchen tongs.
- Colander or sieve.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
Miso Butter Pasta Recipe with Pecorino, Pepper and Chives
Japanese white miso paste might seem out of place in a very European pasta recipe, but it adds a wonderful rich umami flavour when combined with the butter in this recipe. Pink and black peppercorns, offer a little heat and fragrant tones and the mirin and pecorino cheese balance the dish with a little acidity!
Ingredients
- 200g (7oz) Dried Pasta, I use Linguine
- 50g (3 Tbsp + 1 Tsp) Butter
- 35g (2 Tbsp) White Miso Paste
- 1 Tbsp Mirin
- ½ Tsp Black Peppercorns
- 1 Tsp Pink Peppercorns
- 20g (⅓ Cup) Chives
- 35g (⅓ Cup) Pecorino Cheese
Instructions
- Bring a saucepan (20cm or 8") of well-salted water (I use 1½ teaspoons in a pan this size) to a boil.
- Place the black and pink peppercorns into a pestle and mortar and coarsely grind them, you can also use a spice grinder.
- Finely chop the chives, setting a generous pinch aside for garnish.
- Grate the pecorino cheese.
- By now the water for the pasta should be boiling, toss in the pasta and cook until al dente, this should take 8-10 minutes.
- Heat a 25cm or 10" frying pan over a medium-high heat add when it is hot add the butter.
- Once the butter has melted and begin to foam add the white miso paste and whisk to combine.
- Turn the heat down to low, add the mirin and ground pepper, stir to combine and let the "sauce" sit until the pasta is ready to be drained.
- Drain the pasta reserving some of the cooking liquid.
- Add the drained linguine to the sauce, add the grated pecorino cheese and snipped chives, toss to goat and add as much of the pasta cooking water as you need to form a nice silky coating.
- Serve sprinkled with the reserved chives.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 684Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 1136mgCarbohydrates: 87gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gProtein: 21g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.