Miso is the secret to adding deep, savory flavor to this creamy vegan pasta! Tender shiitake mushrooms and sweet peas are tossed in a silky miso-coconut sauce that tastes like it came from a fancy restaurant — but it all comes together in under 30 minutes with just nine ingredients.
Life pro tip: miso paste is more than just a soup base. I always enjoy a bowl of vegan miso soup, but I love adding miso to other dishes, too. In a dish like this miso pasta, it adds deeply savory flavor, and you’d probably never guess that miso was the secret ingredient if you didn’t make this pasta yourself.
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Thanks to the flavor punch miso packs, this pasta comes together quickly with minimal ingredients. The sauce is just a mix of vegan butter, coconut cream, and miso paste. Super simple, but also intensely flavorful and so creamy — it feels really luxurious.
I added some tender shiitake mushrooms and sweet peas to round out the meal, but you can totally customize this recipe. Check out my list of variations below for some inspiration.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below you’ll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Pasta. I like this dish with spaghetti — the long noodles are perfect for that creamy sauce. You can use any type of dried pasta you like though.
- Olive oil.
- Shiitake mushrooms. You’re welcome to use another variety of mushroom if you’d like.
- Garlic.
- Miso paste. The recipe calls for white miso paste, which is also known as shiro miso. It’s the most common variety and can be found in the international aisle of most grocery stores. Other varieties like yellow or red miso can be used, as well. Your sauce will just have a slightly different color and flavor profile.
- Coconut cream. You can find this in cans, near the coconut milk at most grocery stores. You can also get it from a can of coconut milk — just chill it in the fridge overnight and use only the creamy white solid portion. Make sure not to use cream of coconut, which is a completely different product.
- Vegan butter. Look for this in the refrigerator case, near the regular butter, at your grocery store.
- Frozen peas.
- Black pepper.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Cook the pasta. Boil your pasta in salted water, just until al dente, which means a bit on the firm side. Save some of the pasta cooking water before you drain it.
Step 2: Cook the mushrooms. Heat the oil in a skillet, then add the sliced shiitakes in an even layer. Let them cook undisturbed for a few minutes, then flip and continue cooking until they’re tender and nicely browned.
Step 3: Mix the sauce. Whisk or stir the miso paste, coconut cream, and room-temperature vegan butter together in a small bowl or container. Don’t fret too much if it doesn’t mix up perfectly!
Step 4: Cook the garlic. Push the shiitakes to the sides of the skillet, then add minced garlic to the space you just made. Sauté the garlic briefly, until it becomes very fragrant.
Step 5: Add the pasta. Add your cooked pasta to the skillet, along with the miso mixture and about a half cup of that reserved pasta water. Stir everything well and let the mixture cook for a couple of minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Step 6: Finish the dish. Take the skillet off the heat, then stir in thawed frozen peas and some black pepper. You can also season it with salt to taste if you’d like, but be careful since miso is already very salty. Taste first before adding.
Step 7: Serve. Your miso pasta is ready to enjoy! Divide it among plates or bowls and dig in.
Variations
- Switch up the veggies. You can replace the shiitakes with your favorite variety of fresh mushrooms. Not into mushrooms? Sauté some broccoli, asparagus, carrots, or eggplant. Frozen edamame makes a great alternative to frozen peas. You could also add some greens like baby spinach or arugula during step 5.
- Make it cheesy. Miso paste is great for adding cheesy flavors to vegan dishes — I even use it in my vegan mac and cheese and tofu feta! If you want this dish to taste cheesy, add some nutritional yeast flakes and a dash of vinegar or lemon juice.
- Panko topping. Top your miso pasta with a sprinkle of toasted panko breadcrumbs.
- Spice it up. Add some crushed red pepper flakes or top each serving with bit of chili oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
It sure can! Just use your favorite gluten-free pasta and certified gluten-free miso paste. Some miso pastes contain grains like barley, so check labels to be sure.
Yes, it does kill most of the probiotics. If you’d like to preserve the beneficial bacteria in miso, simply leave it out of the sauce in step 3, and instead thin it with a bit of water and add it to the dish after you’ve removed the skillet from heat in step 6.
Leftover miso pasta will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. You can reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove, adding a splash of water to help loosen up the sauce.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
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📖 Recipe
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Creamy Miso Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 ounces dried spaghetti (or pasta shape of choice)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced
- ¼ cup white miso paste
- ¼ cup coconut cream
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, room temperature
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook it according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta into a colander when done, reserving at least a half cup of the pasta cooking water.
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While the pasta boils, coat the bottom of a large skillet with the olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add the sliced shiitakes in an even layer. Let them cook for 4 to 5 minutes, undisturbed, then flip and let them cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.
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While the mushrooms cook, place the miso paste, coconut cream, and vegan butter into a small bowl, then whisk or stir them together with a fork. Set this aside for now.
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Once the mushrooms have browned, push them to the side of the skillet, then add the garlic to the space you just created. Sauté the garlic for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
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Add the pasta to the skillet, along with the miso mixture and about ½ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Stir everything well with a fork and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for a minute or two, until most of it has cooked off and the sauce has turned smooth and silky.
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Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the peas and black pepper. Taste-test and optionally season with salt to taste.
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Divide onto plates and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 701mg | Potassium: 604mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 561IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 3mg
