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Creamy Miso Mushroom Pasta

Mushroom fans: Bookmark this recipe immediately. It will give you everything you want when you crave a creamy mushroom pasta as soon as the crisp fall air sets in. The hardworking trio of miso, Parmesan, and touch of soy sauce delivers an umami bomb of flavor that doesn’t overwhelm, but magnifies, the best of earthy mushrooms. Coupled with luscious noodles enrobed in a creamy (but not heavy) sauce, what’s not to love?
Total Time25 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Hana Asbrink - Bon Appetit

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. egg-based pasta (such as fettuccine nests)
  • ¼ tsp. Kosher salt plus more
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • 1 lb. Crimini or mixed mushrooms (such as button, maitake, oyster, and/or shiitake), sliced ¼" thick or torn into bite-size pieces
  • 5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • ¾ cup dry white wine
  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter cut into pieces
  • 2 Tbsp. white miso
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 oz. Parmesan finely grated (about ½ cup), plus more for serving

Instructions

  • Cook 12 oz. egg-based pasta (such as fettuccine nests) in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions.
  • Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over high. Add 1 lb. crimini or mixed mushrooms (such as button, maitake, oyster, and/or shiitake), sliced ¼" thick or torn into bite-size pieces, and ¼ tsp. Kosher salt and toss to coat evenly. Spread out into an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until mushrooms are starting to release their liquid, 2–3 minutes (do not be alarmed; there will be a lot). Continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until moisture is almost completely evaporated and edges of mushrooms are starting to brown, 6–8 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to medium-high; add 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil. Cook, tossing often, until garlic is fragrant and golden, 1–2 minutes. Pour in ¾ cup dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pan with a sturdy spatula or flat-edged wooden spoon, and cook until wine is mostly evaporated (you should have about 1 Tbsp. liquid left in pan), about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and 2 Tbsp. white miso and stir until melted and combined. Slowly pour in ½ cup heavy cream, scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pan; simmer until thickened slightly, 2–3 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce; season with freshly ground pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed.
  • Using tongs, transfer pasta to mushroom mixture and add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook, tossing constantly and adding ½–1 cup more pasta cooking liquid to reach desired sauce consistency if needed, until pasta is al dente and liquid has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes.
  • Remove pan from heat. Add 1 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about ½ cup) to pasta and toss to combine. Season generously with more pepper; taste and season with more salt if needed.
  • Divide pasta among shallow bowls and top with more Parmesan and pepper.

Notes

A few helpful notes for pasta success:

  1. While any pasta will work, egg-based noodles, like the fettuccine I recommend here, are the best complement to the sauce. The nests (Rummo and De Cecco are great accessible brands) cook far faster than standard straight pasta, almost as fast as fresh.
  2. Don’t be afraid to season your mushrooms! Yes, I know this goes against all that we’ve learned about salting them too early in the cooking process, but just a bit of salt will get them going and releasing their water faster for eventual crisp-browned edges. Don’t be alarmed if you see a pool of water at the start of the mushroom cooking—that’s to be expected and just keep going until it evaporates.
  3. Don’t forget to reserve plenty of pasta cooking liquid, which is critical to the eventual sauce’s success. I prefer transferring the al dente noodles from the pasta pot to the skillet, letting any residual water come with it (and to ensure you don’t accidentally drain away that liquid gold).