Miso Mushroom Pasta
This one has become a proper staple in our kitchens and honestly we can't stop making it. The combination of umami-rich miso and silky mushrooms tossed through pasta is just next level, we're talking deep, savoury flavours that feel really indulgent without being heavy. The creamy tofu sauce is the bit that surprises everyone, it's smooth and rich and coats every strand of pasta beautifully. If you're looking for something to genuinely impress people on a weeknight, this is it.
Before You Start
- High-speed blender or food processor
- Large frying pan
Ingredients
- 290g silken tofu
- 2 tbsp miso paste
- 2 shallots
- 500g mixed mushrooms
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- 500g spaghetti
- olive oil
- plant-based parmesan
Method
For the creamy sauce
- In a high speed blender or food processor, blitz the silken tofu and miso paste a until smooth and creamy
For the mushrooms
- Roughly chop the shallots. Chop the mushrooms into chunks. Crush the garlic and pick the thyme leaves
- In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the shallots and saute for 4-5 minutes until soft. Once soft, remove from the pan and set aside
- In the same pan, heat about 2 tbsp olive oil on medium to high heat, add the mushrooms and cook, constantly stirring, until the mushrooms are soft and the liquid has evaporated
- Once the mushrooms are cooked, pour in the creamy sauce and bring it to a simmer to warm through
Cook the pasta and tuck in
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente and drain, reserving some of the pasta water
- Add the cooked pasta along with a good splash of pasta water to the creamy sauce, mix well so that the pasta is coated in the thick creamy sauce
- Finish with a sprinkle of black pepper and enjoy!
Tips & Variations
- Use a variety of mushrooms: We find this works really well with a mix of chestnut and shiitake mushrooms. Different textures, different depths of flavour, it really lifts the whole dish.
- Don't rush the shallots: Trust us on this one, giving the shallots a proper 4-5 minutes in the pan until they're soft and sweet makes a massive difference to the final flavour.
- Pasta water is your friend: Save a big mug of starchy pasta water before you drain. Adding a splash when you bring everything together helps the sauce cling to the pasta and keeps things silky rather than gluey.
Why This Works
The trick here is blitzing silken tofu with miso paste until it's completely smooth before it ever hits the pan. That's what gives you that creamy, restaurant-worthy sauce without any dairy. The miso brings this deep, salty, almost nutty backbone that makes the whole thing taste like it's been cooking for hours, even though it's ready in 20 minutes.