Which miso should I use?

Light miso (shiro), as it is milder and less salty. Dark red miso also works, but then use only one and a half tablespoons. It is fermented longer, significantly stronger, and will otherwise completely dominate the butter.

My sauce is oily instead of creamy.

The emulsion did not form. Causes include too little pasta water, butter that is too warm, or stirring instead of tossing. To fix it, remove the pan from the heat, add two tablespoons of pasta water and toss vigorously until it binds again.

Does miso last a long time?

An opened jar lasts about a year in the fridge, as it is a preservation method itself. The color darkens over time and the flavor becomes stronger, but it practically does not spoil.

Japanese

Miso Butter Noodles

Name: Miso Butter Noodles
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 13 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 250 g spaghetti; 60 g butter; 2 tablespoon light miso; 2 cloves garlic; 3 scallions; 1 teaspoon sesame seeds; black pepper

Two ingredients emulsify with pasta water into a sauce that tastes like it took hours to make.

Preparation: 3 min
Cook/bake time: 10 min
Total: 13 min
Difficulty: Easy
Calories

Two ingredients emulsify with pasta water into a sauce that tastes like it took hours to make. Miso is fermented soy protein and therefore a glutamate bomb, while butter carries the flavors and makes the sauce creamy. Together with starchy pasta water, this creates the shortest path to deep flavor in just eight minutes.

Why this works

Miso contains free glutamic acid from the fermented soy protein in a concentration otherwise only achieved by aged Parmesan or dried mushrooms. This amino acid is the reason why a spoonful of miso instantly gives a sauce the depth you would normally cook hours for. The second part is mechanical. Butter and pasta water only form a sauce when the starch in the water emulsifies them. This is why the butter must go into the pan cold and in pieces, and why you toss instead of stir. Cold butter melts slowly enough for the emulsion to build up, whereas melted butter separates immediately. Miso is added off the heat because it loses a large part of its flavors above 80 degrees.

Step-by-step instructions

1
Cook the noodles and save the water
Cook the spaghetti one minute less than instructed. Salt the water only lightly this time because miso brings a lot of salt. Scoop out two cups of cooking water before draining.
2
Mix the miso paste
Mix the miso and garlic with four tablespoons of hot pasta water in a bowl to form a smooth paste. This is necessary because miso clumps when added directly to the pan, and miso clumps are salty spots instead of a sauce.
3
Emulsify the butter
Add the drained noodles to the pan with half a cup of cooking water, add the cold butter in pieces and toss vigorously. The sauce will become visibly creamy and light. Cold butter is important because if added melted, it separates immediately from the water.
4
Fold in the miso
Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the miso paste. Above 80 degrees, miso loses a large part of its flavor, and this exact flavor is the reason for the recipe. Finish with scallions, sesame seeds and pepper.

Our best tips

Salt the pasta water only lightly. Two tablespoons of miso bring so much salt that normally salted water makes the dish inedible.

Calories	646 kcal
Protein	19 g
Carbohydrates	88 g
– of which sugar	4 g
Fat	24 g
Fiber	5 g

Miso Butter Noodles

Why this works

Step-by-step instructions

Cook the noodles and save the water

Mix the miso paste

Emulsify the butter

Fold in the miso

Our best tips

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