Garlic Miso Pasta

This easy, 6-ingredient miso pasta might just become your new favorite comfort food.

At first glance, this pasta looks innocent enough. But don’t get it twisted (ha, pasta pun): it is not for the faint of heart.

This miso pasta is extremely garlicky, peppery, and finished with fragrant raw scallions. Every strand of the silky spaghetti is coated in spicy, savory goodness, making it a bold comfort food you didn’t know you needed. It’s my new favorite for those nights when I feel a bit kicked around by the world and just want to disassociate – on the couch, in front of the TV, with a big bowl of pasta.

The inspiration for this recipe came from three places. First, Kenji López-Alt’s Vietnamese-American garlic noodles, which is where I got the audacity to use such an obscene amount of garlic (basically a full head) in a single dish. His recipe, though, originated from classic Italian aglio e olio (pasta with garlic and olive oil). Lastly, using coarse black pepper as a primary flavoring is borrowed from cacio e pepe, a popular Roman pasta.

What sets this 6-ingredient miso pasta apart is that it’s totally vegan – no fish sauce, butter, cheese, or eggs needed. The easy sauce relies on the emulsion of olive oil and starchy pasta water to help the garlic-miso mixture adhere to each noodle.

About the Star Ingredients

• White Miso: This Japanese fermented soybean paste does so much more than miso soup. It’s salty, savory, and a bit sweet, and can give plant-based dishes a “cheesy” flavor. Look for it in the refrigerated section of the store, next to things like tofu, tempeh, and kimchi.
• Garlic: Yes, you do need to use basically an entire head of garlic for the full effect. I did scale the number of cloves down to 14 from Kenji’s original 20 though. (Obviously don’t plan on kissing anyone for, like, a full day.)
• Pasta: Since this dish is so simple, the quality of the spaghetti you use really counts. Choose a bronze-cut one if possible, like DeCecco, Rummo, or Barilla’s Al Bronzo line.
• Black Pepper: This is not a job for store-bought pre-ground pepper from the little tin. Get out your real pepper mill and set it to a coarse setting for the best flavor.
• Scallions: Add grassy freshness, spice, and crunch. Don’t skip them.

How to Make This Miso Pasta

Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Dissolve the Miso

Measure out the miso paste in a bowl and add plain water. Set aside for 5 minutes to let the miso soften, then whisk with a fork until it’s fully dissolved.

Step 2: Grate the Garlic

Grate the garlic into a paste using an etched zester (a.k.a. microplane). Alternatively, pass the cloves through a garlic press or crush them in a mortar and pestle. Do not chop the garlic with a knife, as the result won’t be nearly the same.

Step 3: Prep the Sauce

Gently cook the garlic paste in olive oil until it’s fragrant, about 2 minutes. Then stir in the miso mixture.

Step 4: Add the Pasta

Boil spaghetti until it is still shy of al dente (it will finish cooking in the sauce). Scoop out some of the starchy water, then drain the pasta and add to the skillet, along with some of the reserved water.

Cook over high heat while continually tossing the pasta with tongs until the sauce thickens and the pasta is cooked through, about 2 minutes. 

Step 5: Serve the Pasta

Divide the pasta among plates, sprinkle with scallions, and serve immediately.

Don’t Skip Over These Cooking Tips

Use Great Spaghetti

I once asked a Roman native what pasta brand she buys here in New York and her answer was, “I’m Italian, so it has to be DeCecco” – which, frankly, should be their slogan.

DeCecco is great because the pasta is extruded through bronze plates, which gives it a less smooth texture, thus helping each piece retain more sauce in the teeny-tiny crevices. Rummo is also great in my [non-native Italian] opinion.

Which Miso to Buy

Look for “white miso” (a.k.a. “shiro miso”) in the refrigerated section. It’s a thick, dark beige/yellow paste, typically sold in a small plastic tub.

Use the Garlic Quickly

Don’t let grated garlic sit around for too long (as in, more than a couple of minutes) before cooking it. It has the tendency to get even more pungent as it sits.

Use Less Water for Boiling

Another tip borrowed from Kenji is to use less water than usual for boiling the pasta. It will result in a cloudier pasta water and thus a silkier sauce.

Use Less Salt for Boiling

Use about a third less salt when seasoning the pasta water than usual, since the pasta will ultimately absorb the salty miso. 

Serving Suggestions

Like most spaghetti dishes, miso pasta is best served right away, straight from the stove. If you don’t think you’ll eat the whole portion right away, I recommend halving the recipe.

If you’d like to add a veggie side dish, I recommend lemony sautéed cauliflower, cast iron skillet asparagus, or trumpet mushrooms. If you’d like to add a protein, try this tofu schnitzel, warm lentil salad, or Greek baked beans.

More Pastas to Try…

• Dried Porcini Mushroom Pasta
• Lemon Zucchini Pasta
• Peppery Cabbage Pasta
• Vegan Spinach-Mushroom Lasagna

Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.

The Full Recipe