Miso Mushroom and Leek Pasta

Ingredients

• Salt (For salting the pasta water and seasoning the leeks and mushrooms; use more to taste.)
• 2 tbsp Olive oil (Plus more as needed, for drizzling and finishing.)
• 2 Leeks (Medium; trimmed, white and light green parts thinly sliced, about 2 cups.)
• 1.5 lb Mushrooms (Stemmed and sliced; use cremini, shiitake, oyster mushrooms, or a combination.)
• 1 lb Short pasta (Such as ziti or cavatappi.)
• 2 tbsp White miso
• 0.75 cup Parmesan cheese (Grated, plus more for garnishing.)
• 1 tbsp Sherry or red wine vinegar (Plus more to taste.)
• 1 tbsp Parsley (Chopped leaves and tender stems; for garnish.)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven or deep 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

3. 3

   Add the sliced leeks, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. If the leeks look dry at any point, add a drizzle of oil.

4. 4

   Add the sliced mushrooms to the leeks, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring every 2 minutes, until the mushrooms have browned, about 10 minutes. If the mushrooms finish before the pasta, reduce the heat to low.

5. 5

   When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente.

6. 6

   Halfway through the pasta's cooking time, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and let it cool slightly on the counter.

7. 7

   Drain the pasta in a colander. If it is ready before the mushrooms, drizzle it with olive oil.

8. 8

   When both the mushrooms and pasta are done, stir the miso into the reserved pasta water until mostly dissolved.

9. 9

   Add the miso mixture to the Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat, along with the pasta, grated Parmesan, and vinegar.

10. 10

    Stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, until a cheesy sauce forms and coats the noodles.

11. 11

    Remove the pan from the heat and season to taste with more vinegar if needed.

12. 12

    Garnish with chopped parsley and more Parmesan, then serve with a final drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

The structured recipe data specifies the base amount of oil and Parmesan; additional oil and Parmesan are used as needed for drizzling and garnish. Farro, spelt, or whole-wheat pasta would complement the earthy flavors. Source comments mention optional variations such as balsamic vinegar, mixed miso, and browning mushrooms separately, but these are not part of the authoritative recipe method.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• vegetarian
• quick meal
• stovetop
• umami
• mushrooms
• Japanese-inspired