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Creamy Miso Pasta with Shrimp

Large skillet with creamy miso pasta with shrimp.
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This Creamy Miso Pasta with Shrimp is quick and easy to make in 30 minutes and full of the BEST savory umami flavors! Perfectly cooked pasta, seasoned and seared juicy shrimp, shiitake mushrooms and baby spinach come together in a heavenly miso butter cream sauce! This dreamy pasta dish is Japanese-Italian fusion comfort food at its best!

Ingredients

Scale

Shrimp:

  • 10.6 ounces / 300 grams peeled and deveined Shrimp or Prawns (frozen weight, 10-14 pieces if using size 16/20) – thawed and rinsed thoroughly
  • ¾ teaspoon Cajun Seasoning (note 1)
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground Cayenne (omit for milder flavor or substitute regular ground paprika)
  • 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for cooking

Creamy Miso Pasta:

  • 3 small / 38-40 grams Asian Red Shallots (or use regular shallot/eschalot or red onion) – finely chopped
  • 4-5 / 25 grams Garlic cloves – minced
  • 3 pieces / 60 grams Asian Brown Mushrooms (I used shiitake, or use any other mushrooms of choice – note 2)
  • 2 cups / 66 grams Baby Spinach
  • 5 ounces / 140 grams Fusilli Lunghi Bucati pasta (or other noodle-type pasta – note 3)
  • 25 grams / ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (or Parmesan cheese)
  • 1 tablespoon / 14 grams Unsalted Butter
  • ½ tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 tablespoon / 17 grams White Miso Paste (note 4)
  • 7 fluid ounces / 200ml Cooking Cream (20% fat – note 5)
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, to taste (note 6)
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried Thyme
  • ¼ – 1.5 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste (note 7*)
  • ¼ – 1 teaspoon ground Cayenne, to taste (note 7*)
  • ½ tablespoon Sherry Vinegar (substitute with 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar – note 8)
  • To Serve: sliced Fresh Basil or chopped fresh Parsley

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Prepare the shrimp: Thaw the frozen shrimp and rinse thoroughly. Pat-dry and add to bowl. Season with Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper and ground cayenne. Mix to coat and set aside.
  2. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop/slice the shallot, garlic, mushrooms as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section. Use a block grater to grate the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Measure out the cooking cream in a measuring cup.

Creamy Miso Pasta with Shrimp:

  1. Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta al-dente in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside. (I like to run cold water over the pasta to prevent it from sticking and cooking further but this is optional.)
  2. Sear the shrimp: Heat 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil in a medium-sized deep sauté pan or deep edged skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned shrimp and spread out the pieces in the pan. Allow to sear for 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes or until just cooked. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
  3. Sauté the aromatics: In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté for a minute or until starting to soften.
  4. Sauté the mushrooms: Lower the heat to medium and add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, until starting to soften and develop color.
  5. Add the miso paste and deglaze: Add the white miso paste and ¼ cup of reserved pasta water. Mix to combine until the miso paste breaks down and the water reduces. The mixture will be thick and light brown.
  6. Pour in cream and add spices: Lower the heat and pour in the cooking cream. Stir in all the seasonings and spices – the kosher salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, dried thyme, crushed red pepper flakes and ground cayenne.
  7. Add the cheese and sherry vinegar: Add the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and sherry vinegar. Mix until the cheese has melted and the sauce starts to thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  8. Add the pasta and shrimp: Add the cooked pasta and shrimp. Mix well to combine.
  9. Mix in the baby spinach: Add the baby spinach and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Mix until just wilted and everything is evenly coated in the sauce. If the sauce looks too thick, add more pasta water and mix until your desired consistency is reached. Switch off the heat.
  10. Serve: Divide evenly onto plates and garnish with sliced fresh basil or chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Cajun Seasoning. Some store-bought Cajun seasoning blends come with salt added already and can be quite salty. You may need to use less kosher salt or omit the salt all together for seasoning the shrimp depending on how salty your Cajun seasoning is. If unsure, skip seasoning the cream sauce with kosher salt until after you taste the sauce after melting in the cheese. You can always add more salt if needed.
  2. Asian Brown Mushrooms. I’ve used shiitake mushrooms but any type of Asian mushrooms or western mushrooms will work. Some good options are oyster mushrooms, enoki (shimeji), champignon, button, and cremini mushrooms.
  3. Fusilli Lunghi Bucati. Also known as fusilli col bucco, this is a long, spiraled noodle-type pasta with a hole through the center which allows the sauce to seep in. It’s similar to bucatini which also has a hollow center but fusilli lunghi bucati is coiled/curly. Feel free to use bucatini, fettuccine, linguini, spaghetti or any other noodle-type of pasta and increase the amount to 5.3 ounces/150 grams. A short-cut pasta shape like fusilli bucati (essentially fusilli with a hole through the middle), penne, or small shells would work too. Use 6.3-7 ounces/180-200 grams if using a short-cut pasta shape.
  4. Cooking Cream. I used a cream with 20% fat. Substitute with table cream or light cream (or single cream if you are in the UK). If you prefer a richer sauce, use heavy cream or double cream (35% and up fat).
  5. White Miso Paste. Also known as shiro miso or kome miso. This fermented Japanese paste is made from soybeans, rice, and sometimes a little barley. It adds a savory depth of flavor and a mild nutty sweetness to the creamy miso butter pasta sauce. Find it in a regular or Asian supermarket, or a specialty Japanese ingredients grocery store.
  6. Kosher Salt. I used a coarse kosher salt from Redmond Real Salt. It’s less salty than iodized table salt and sea salt. If using either table salt or sea salt, use a little less than the amount specified.
  7. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes and Ground Cayenne. Adjust the amount to taste depending on your spice level preference. Omit for a mild dish.
  8. Sherry Vinegar. Sherry vinegar is a type of wine vinegar made from sherry wine and it is produced in Andalusia, Spain. It has a tangy, sweet and nutty flavor profile. The best substitute would be white wine vinegar but start with just 1 teaspoon. Alternatively, you can substitute with lemon juice if you prefer not to cook with alcohol or 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar for a delicious, but sweeter flavored take on this dish.
  9. Storing and reheating. Store leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot throughout. You can also reheat in a pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add a splash of water to help loosen up the sauce.
  10. Double the recipe. This recipe makes enough for 2 adult sized servings but can easily be scaled up. Click the ‘2x’ button at the top of the recipe card to display double the ingredient amounts to make 4 servings. Use a large skillet to cook if doubling the recipe.
  11. See the ‘Variations’ section in the post above if you’d like to customize this recipe.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/creamy-miso-pasta-shrimp/