July 8, 2014

Miso garlic noodles with mushrooms

Can you hear that?  No?  That's okay because I don't hear anything either!  My recently whiny, noisy computer has been replaced with a new - blissfully quiet - one.  We finally made the switch to mac after talking about it for years...I'm loving it so far though it takes a little getting used to.
Spaghetti with mushrooms in a miso-garlic sauce (with olive oil instead of butter)
The computer upgrade is just one of several projects happening on the home front right now. It's all good though and I'm happy to be busy in a good way.  Despite how much we may be running around, going out, or attending to things at home, quick-and-easy meals are never far from my mind.

I've been wanting to try cooking with miso for a long time now.  A few weeks ago, I spotted a small container of yellow miso at Trader Joe's; it was inexpensive and had a long expiration date so I decided to pick one up thinking that seeing it in the fridge will get me motivated.  It worked and I started by making a very simple miso garlic pasta with mushrooms.  I made it for a quick lunch after picking up some gray oyster mushrooms at the farmer's market in the morning.  Any mushroom, or a medley of them, would work well.  While most miso pasta/noodle recipes I've seen use butter, I generally prefer to cook with olive oil so I tried it that way and it turned out great!


Keeping things simple, I used what I had on hand so I went with basic spaghetti for this dish though you could try other noodles or pasta.  I adapted this recipe from Steamy Kitchen but instead of butter, I used extra-virgin olive oil, which is predominately what I reach for when cooking.  I use enough butter for baking so I try to stick with olive oil when it comes to the savory.

The sauce is basically olive oil, a few cloves of pressed (or minced) garlic, mushrooms, and a bit of Maggi sauce or soy sauce if you don't have Maggi.  Maggi is a bit like a finishing soy sauce; I really like the flavor and I keep a small bottle in my cupboard all the time to splash on some of my stir-fries and other dishes.  And whenever I want maximum garlic favor in what I'm cooking (essentially all the time when I use garlic), I like to use my garlic press.  If you don't use one, just finely mince the garlic. The miso I used is a mild yellow one and given how salty miso is, a tablespoon is enough.  
The miso has such a delicious umami, savory, quality to it, and the earthiness of the mushrooms works really well with it.  I used some "fancy" gray oyster mushrooms because they looked good at the farmer's market that morning.  I had king oyster mushrooms in mind but they weren't available that day.  The organic mushroom vendor is a new addition to our farmer's market this year and I have a feeling I'm going to be a fairly regular customer.  I'd love to use a medley of mushrooms in this dish.  A little contrast in shapes and textures is always nice.   
This pasta is great served with a fried egg on top!  Well, for me, almost anything is better with an egg on top and I add it to lots of things.  
My family and I enjoyed this simple, quick pasta for lunch on a recent Sunday.  After making it, I can totally see how a little miso can be an easy "short-cut" to a whole lot of flavor.  I see plenty of possibilities in adding a dab or two to stir-fries, dressings, marinades, and soups.  

I've since used my miso to make a miso-glazed salmon for dinner one night (it was another magazine-cutout recipe but for the life of me, I cannot remember where I found the recipe right now!) and I look forward to other experiments to come.  I'm thinking some garlic miso chicken wings will happen very soon...


Recipe:

Miso Garlic Noodles with Mushrooms
Adapted from Steamy Kitchen

- Serves 3-4 - 

8 ounces dry pasta (such as spaghetti or other pasta/noodles of your choice)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, pressed through a garlic press or finely minced
12 ounces fresh mushrooms of your choice, sliced
1 tablespoon miso paste (mild yellow or white)
2 teaspoons Maggi seasoning sauce or soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta until al dente and drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring and making sure not to burn the garlic.  Add mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes, until mushrooms have softened.  Stir in the miso, Maggi sauce or soy sauce.  Add pasta and stir well to combine.  Stir in a tablespoon or two of the pasta cooking water, if necessary, to add a little more moisture.  Season with black pepper, and serve.

  


48 comments:

  1. This is a reminder for me to use the miso in MY fridge! It's one of my favorite ways to add some umami to a dish. This pasta sounds super tasty and love that you went with olive oil instead of butter...that would have been my choice too!

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    1. haha - for me, miso always seemed like one of those mystery ingredients. It's great to try it and realize it isn't all that mysterious after all. I felt almost afraid to bypass the butter and use olive oil instead...kept thinking maybe there's some specific reason every recipe pairs it with butter. What do you know...the earth didn't shatter and the pasta was good with the olive oil. :)

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  2. That looks delicious! Love the flavors in here, sounds like a lovely summer meal. :)

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    1. Thanks...I love how easy it is. The miso adds that umami and you have a flavorful lunch.

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  3. Not bad, not bad at all... I would love to try this miso mushroom spaghetti.

    ela h.
    Gray Apron

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  4. I would love this for my dinner with some thin crusty garlic bread :-)))

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    1. Oh yes! We've had our share of crusty garlic bread lately too and bread with pasta is just carb-paradise. : )

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  5. Yay for a new computer! We made the switch to macs years ago and never looked back :)

    I really need to buy miso - this sounds fantastic! I have been wanting to recreate this salad I used to get at a restaurant a long time ago so I now have two things to try with it! haha

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    1. Seriously loving the new computer. I want to sit in front of it again...I've been taking a break from my wheezing, whiny old one because it seemed like it was on the verge of breakdown but now it's quiet, fast, and fun again. Not sure it's a good thing or not! : )

      I'm thinking the miso is a good thing to have around in the fridge...you can use it to make a quick meal like this. Hope you try it and recreate that restaurant salad, too!

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  6. Hi Monica, I purchased that same miso but was unsure how to use it, will be preparing this recipe, looks delicious!

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    1. That's awesome! So many possibilities but it can be confusing (for me, anyway). I just try to look for the simplest thing and start from there. This is pretty easy...hope you try it.

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  7. You will be surprised to know that I have never ever cooked with miso. I feel sad but hey this recipe of yours is perfect for me to try my hands at miso! Must say this noodle dish looks super delicious!!

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    1. Ah...my first time cooking with miso, too, so no worries. It is no big mystery now. haha. This is really easy and a lot of flavor, fast. Thanks, Ami!

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  8. Looks yummy:) will try soon

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  9. Yay, so happy you are loving your new computer Monica :) These noodles look incredible! I love that you used miso in here and it sounds super tasty with the mushrooms and garlic! Love that you lightened it up with olive oil too and the fried egg is the perfect touch :)

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    1. I actually like sitting in front of the computer again! haha.
      This pasta dish is so easy...love a quick meal...and I'm really glad I went with the olive oil.

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  10. How easy is this? The flavors sound delicious! I will try soon! By the way, welcome to the mac family! I am sure you will enjoy it! :)

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    1. Totally! Easy is my game plan, pretty much. : ) Loving the mac so far and wondering why we didn't go for it sooner.

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  11. I love miso, and this noodle with miso and mushroom just look perfect...yum!
    Thanks for the recipe Monica...have a great week :D

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    1. Glad you like it. Hope you're enjoying the summer.

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  12. Wow Monica,
    These pictures are making me crazy hungry. The flavors sound amazing!!

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    1. So easy - that is one of the best parts. Thank you, Asmita.

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  13. That last shot with the egg on top brought this home. Looks incredible!

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    1. Everything is better with an egg on top, right? ; )

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  14. I did spot the miso container at Trader Joe's before I left for Japan, and was going to check it out! Hope their miso is good one, knowing that a lot of people are willing to try products from Trader Joe's. Love the pasta with miso! Japanese pastas are very popular here (lots of restaurants too). Your recipe makes me hungry! :)

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    1. Yes...I cannot resist the convenience of Trader Joe's, Nami! A lot of great stuff there. I've seen tons of different kinds of miso, of course, but this was just such a convenient way to try it. I'd love to know what you think if you ever use it.

      And I've got chicken wings in my fridge...ready to try YOUR miso glazed chicken wings recipe very soon! Thank you!

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  15. Hooray for a new computer. I have both Mac and PC and I love my Mac. It took a little adjusting but now we are inseparable. :D
    I need to get some miso this looks amazing and I love the umami flavor. This dish looks delicious! Pinning

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    1. A new computer is a beautiful thing! haha.
      Thanks for pinning...this is really easy if you're crazy pasta one day.

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  16. A new computer!!!!! Congratulations!!!!!!! Life is going to be so much easier now! I'm planning to switch to a Mac too!!!! I can't get over how beautifully delicious this bowl of noodles looks!!!!! I have never tried miso and I am planning to buy it very soon! I can't wait to try this although I'll be making them with button mushrooms since we don't get the oyster variety. That fried egg just adds another level of awesomeness to this dish! Pinning!!!

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    1. Thanks, Samina! Miso is salty, savory, the essence of that "umami" everyone talks about. So much flavor in a tablespoon. : )

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  17. Congrats on the new laptop!! A mac sounds aaahhhhmazing!
    What a gorgeous bowl of noodles, by the way! I've never tried miso, but I can imagine that it pairs wonderfully with that mushrooms topping ;)
    I hope you have a great day! xx

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  18. Well done on the new computer! It's a great feeling isn't it when everything runs quickly and as it should! I love cooking with miso too :D

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    1. Having things working and running smoothly is definitely a lovely thing!

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  19. There you go Monica - it looks amazing! I was very happy with my first try at using Miso with Soba noodles but wasn't thrilled using it in brownies :) My husband has been after me for years to get a MAC and so I will one day when my computer starts growning like yours. Have a great weekend!

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    1. You are very adventurous to try miso brownies!! And yes...when your computer lets you know the end is nigh, go with the mac. My son uses mac at school so it made sense to switch.

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  20. We did the switch a few years ago to a mac and it was fantastic! Congrats! I love th miso and mushroom combo it's one of our favorite!

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  21. I like this combination of miso and mushrooms. Always nice to have recipes that are easy and need only a few ingredients to make.

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    1. That pretty much sums up my general cooking preference - few ingredients, easy, and quick! This definitely fits. : )

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  22. LOVVVVVVE this post! First, I love the recipe :-) but I learned something new too...I've never heard of Maggi sauce! I'm going to have to see if I can find that locally! But first, I must have these noodles!!!

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    1. Terrific! I grew up with Maggi in the house and took up the habit of keeping it in mine now. I always thought of it as a soy sauce but it's used more as a finishing touch...glad you find it interesting. : )

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  23. Ohh king oyster mushrooms are my favorite!! And that egg on top! I do that with my pastas all the time too. So much better (: This miso garlic noodle dish looks absolutely crumptious!

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    1. I agree - plopping a loose egg on top of almost anything just instantly makes it a meal and the dish all that much better. : ) This is an easy pasta dish for busy college students like you, Monica. Hope all is well!

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  24. I have miso in my fridge from TJ's too...and it needs to get used. All I ever think to do with it is make a glaze for roasting things. I should def give this recipe a try. I love noodles with an asian flavor.

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    1. I'm guessing we could have bought it from the same TJ's! I used it to make Nami's miso glazed wings recently...it was finger-licking good! This is a tasty, quick pasta dish...a bit on the salty side of course but lots of flavor with just the miso and garlic. Thanks for checking in, Amy.

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