This post originally appeared on my other site: The Pasta Twins.

Why you’ll love this spicy miso pasta

Miso is one of my favorite ingredients to add to recipes when I’m craving umami – that savory, satisfying flavor that’s hard to put your finger on. So naturally, I love adding it to pasta.

This spicy miso pasta reminds me of aglio e olio, without the cheese. It’s a totally vegan pasta recipe that’s so easy to make and full of flavor.

Close up of pasta topped with furikake and crushed red pepper flakes.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

Equipment:

Ingredients:

  • Miso paste – We normally have white miso paste in our freezer, so this is what we use, but feel free to use whatever type of miso you have on hand.
  • Furikake seasoning – If you’ve never used this before it’s a seasoning blend made of sesame, nori, salt and sugar
  • Crushed red pepper flakes – This gives us our heat, and can be customized to your taste. Use what you can handle, or leave it out.
  • Garlic – Fresh minced garlic is best, but pre-minced from a jar will work great. Just make sure it’s fresh.
Spicy miso pasta in a stockpot.

How to make spicy miso pasta

Boil the pasta. Heat a large stockpot to boiling. Add the pasta and generously salt the water. Follow the directions on the package and cook until the pasta is al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water just before draining your pasta.

Make the sauce. In the same pot you cooked the pasta, heat the olive oil to medium. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant. This should take about 30 seconds.

Add the miso paste and nice splash of pasta water. Stir until the miso dissolves, adding extra pasta water if you need it.

Toss it all together. Return the pasta back to the pot and toss it in the sauce until it’s completely coated. Add extra pasta water to stretch the sauce if you need it. Season with salt & pepper to taste, if needed.

Garnish and serve. Serve the pasta immediately and garnish each serving with furikake seasoning.

Miso pasta in a bowl topped with furikake and crushed red peppers.

FAQs and tip for making spicy miso pasta

Does miso go bad?

Miso can go bad, but it takes a while. You should keep it stored in the freezer to maintain its freshness.

At what temperature does miso die?

Bacteria in fermented foods usually dies at 115˚F. This means you don’t want to add the pasta water to the dish immediately, and that’s why we only cook the sauce over medium.

Close up of a fork twirling spicy miso pasta in a bowl.

More dairy free pasta recipes you will love

Pin Print
No ratings yet

Spicy Miso Pasta

By: Melissa Belanger
This spicy miso pasta is packed with umami with a nice spicy kick and topped with furikake seasoning for extra flavor. It’s so good that you’ll be amazed by how simple it is to make. Serve it as a vegetarian main course or alongside your favorite mains for a quick side dish.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 

  • 16- ounces spaghetti
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 tablespoons miso paste
  • 2 tablespoons furikake seasoning, optional for garnish

Instructions 

  • In a large stockpot with salted water, cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining the pasta.
  • In the same pot, heat olive oil to medium. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper, sautéing until fragrant – about 30 seconds. Add miso pasta with a few tablespoons of pasta water, and stir until dissolved.
  • Return pasta to the pot and toss with sauce until coated, adding additional pasta water if needed.
  • Garnish with furikake seasoning before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 276kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 7g, Sodium: 323mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin C: 0.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Hi! I'm Melissa.

I create easy, dairy free recipes because I know how hard living without milk can be. I believe you can live a completely satisfying life without dairy, and I want to teach you how.

Read more about me

You may also like:

Leave a comment

When leaving a comment or rating:
Feel free to share your recipe feedback, ingredient swaps, or tips for other readers. Rating a recipe you changed isn’t helpful to anyone - drop it in the comments instead. Keep it kind and on topic - disrespectful comments and ad complaints will not be approved.

Recipe Rating




1 Comment

  1. Jillian says:

    This was a super yummy, EASY recipe!! I needed to make a quick meal before heading out the door and didn’t have any parmesan for my usual miso parm pasta recipe. I found this and loved it – excited to make this again!

    Reply