The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Creamy pasta dish is simple, flavorful
Between the sweet richness of butter, and the salty and umami taste of miso, these two pantry staples offer a pretty unbeatable flavor combination. I’ve used it before when cooking hearty greens, but it’s even better when turned into a silky-smooth pasta sauce.
And, while you don’t really need much else to complement these two ingredients, I like to bring in a touch of complexity and heat with sautéed scallions and gochugaru, the Korean red chile flakes used in kimchi. (Gochugaru is sweeter and less spicy than Italian-style red pepper flakes, but you can exchange one for the other, if you prefer.) For protein, I keep the dish vegetarian, with extrafirm tofu, which I like to brown in a little additional butter before making the sauce.
To make the sauce, you’ll need to emulsify melted butter and miso with pasta cooking water. This sounds much more complicated than it actually is — the starch that is left behind in the pasta cooking water will do much of the work for you. All you need is a whisk and a bit of confidence. If the mixture doesn’t smooth out after a minute or so of whisking, simply add a bit more pasta water and keep on whisking. It’ll come together.
MISO BUTTER NOODLES
Salt
1 pound spaghetti 10 ounces extra-firm tofu 8 tablespoons butter 4 scallions, thinly sliced with white and green parts separated
½ cup white miso 1 tablespoon gochugaru or other dried red chile flakes, plus more to taste
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
While the water heats and the pasta boils, slice the tofu into 1-inch-thick slabs and place on a plate between paper towels to drain.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high. When the butter is foamy, add the tofu. Season lightly with salt and cook, undisturbed, until the bottom sides are golden brown and easily release from the pan, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, season lightly with salt, and continue to cook until browned on the second side, 2 to 4 more minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into bite-size pieces.
Add the remaining butter to the skillet. After it melts, add the scallion whites and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
When the pasta is finished, add ½ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet, along with the miso. Whisk aggressively until the mixture is smooth. Add the pasta and toss to coat, adding additional pasta cooking water as needed, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, to form a sauce that clings to the pasta without being goopy. Once you’re happy with the sauce, stir in the tofu and scallion greens. Sprinkle with the gochugaru. Serve, passing additional gochugaru around the table.
Serves 4 to 6.
Per serving, based on 4: 782 calories (percent of calories from fat, 39), 29 grams protein, 98 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 32 grams total fat (16 grams saturated), 61 milligrams cholesterol, 1,873 milligrams sodium.