A few weeks ago, I got an email from a reader named Gabriela (love that name) asking for more recipes involving miso paste. Gabriela had made my 10 Minute Miso Soup recipe 4 months ago and still had this massive tub of miso paste in her refrigerator. By the way, did you know miso paste lasts for 6-8 months in your refrigerator? Just make sure after opening, cover well and store in the back of your refrigerator.
We’ll be posting miso recipes regularly for the next few months, I’m working with Marukome to develop recipes for their brand new Miso & Easy product with substitutions using regular miso paste. So, Miso & Easy is like instant miso in a squeezable bottle. You can make miso soup in seconds, there’s no need for kombu or bonito flakes or dashi – it’s all in the bottle!
This recipe can be made with Miso & Easy or regular Miso Paste (I love the all-natural low sodium miso paste from Marukome)
What is Miso?
Made from fermented soybeans, Miso is a thick paste-like substance. It is brown in color and tastes pleasantly salty and tangy on its own. Miso has a surprisingly low salt use of Miso is in Japanese-style Miso soup, Miso also adds a unique burst of flavor to salad dressings, sauces and marinades, baked tofu, vegetable dishes, and even dessert sorbets.
Often called “soybean paste” by Westerners, Miso has played a vital role in the culinary life of Japan for hundreds of years. More and more, however, the salty taste and buttery texture of Miso is becoming popular in the west, as a favorite ingredient in a range of recipes.
Miso is manufactured by adding a yeast mold known as koji to soybeans and other ingredients, and allowing them to ferment. The fermentation time, ranges from weeks to years, depending upon the specific type of Miso being produced. Once this process is complete, the fermented ingredients are ground into a paste similar in texture to that of butter.
The color, texture, and degree of saltiness of a particular Miso depends upon the ingredients used, and the duration of the fermentation process. Miso ranges in color from white to brown. The lighter varieties are less salty and more mellow in flavor, while the darker ones are saltier and have a more intense flavor.
How to make Creamy Miso Chicken Pasta
Here’s what you’re going to need:
…and for the sauce:
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, and then cook 1 pound of pasta according to package directions. About four minutes before the pasta is done, add some broccoli florets to the hot water. While the pasta cooks, you can cook the chicken and make the miso sauce.
Cut two boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then, add the chicken until cooked through and browned on all sides.
Remove the chicken from the pan and turn the heat to low. Add butter to the pan, once the butter melts add the miso. Stir the butter and miso until combined. Now, remove the pan from the heat completely.
Add the Greek yogurt and stir to combine.
When done, drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Then, add the pasta, broccoli and reserved water to the sauce.
Now, add some shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Add the chicken then use tongs or two large spoons to toss the pasta.
Serve the pasta with a handful of finely sliced green onions sprinkled on top.
Creamy Miso Chicken Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons Miso & Easy or see above for miso paste substitution
- 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 green onions, finely sliced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Four minutes before the pasta is done, add broccoli florets.
- In the meantime, season chicken with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat, add chicken and cook until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
- Remove chicken, turn heat to low then add butter to skillet. Once melted, remove pan from heat and add miso, whisk until butter and miso come together then add Greek yogurt, stir to combine.
- Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Add pasta, reserved pasta cooking water, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chicken then toss. Garnish with green onions.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
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Received many compliments because of this recipe. My friends and family begging to have the recipe. 😀
Simple and delicious!
This recipe is disgusting and tasted horrible. Instead of deleting my comment, you should learn to be honest and let everyone see. How many other people thought it was disgusting as well that you deleted?
Comments are never deleted – I approve comments several times a week.
This was DISGUSTING. I used real miso paste and the 1 and a half cups of Greek yogurt destroyed any miso flavor. All I could taste was this horrid yogurt.
Can this be made without the chicken? Tofu instead?
Tofu is perfect.
This looks pretty yummy. I’m going to try this, and while I do eat meat and dairy, I would like to try and veganize this recipe with seiten, and whip the miso in with some sesame oil to get a creamy texture.
yummy thanks alot
I use Organic Brown Rice Miso & Organic Barley Miso by Miso Master. Both worked well in this recipe and can be found at Whole Foods Market or Fairway… I haven’t checked Publix.
I love the taste of Miso but even more I love it’s nutritional qualities. By cooking the miso you destroy the live cultures in it yes? Could you stir in the miso after the pasta is off the heat?
Since the sauce comes together very quickly, stirring in the miso off the heat would be just fine.
Wow… love the pictorial steps you have here. Didn’t know that it is so easy to make creamy miso chicken pasta. Going to surprise my fiancee with this recipe 😀
This was absolutely delicious! I used a lower sodium variety and it was out of this world. Thanks for the superb use of miso. I always have a full tub of it and forget to use it from time to time! This will become a staple at our house! 🙂
Thanks for this, Jaden! I always have light miso in the fridge, so I made this tonight and we really liked it. It’s definitely a keeper. I didn’t have any yogurt on hand (and I was feeling too lazy to run to the store), so I used low fat buttermilk instead. (I omitted the pasta water because the sauce was already a bit runny with the buttermilk.) It tasted fantastic with a substitute, and now I’m looking forward to making it with the yogurt. Hope to see more miso recipes from you in the future. 🙂
Am pretty much sure that this recipe is delightful! I enjoy making this cuisine and it really made me satisfied. More so, this considered one of my favorite dishes! I also love “All-American Chocolate Cake”, “Beef Fillet with Red Wine” and “ Pigeon with Wild Fountain Cress”. I discovered all of these at http://www.gourmetrecipe.com and http://www.gourmandia.com. Try to visit those sites including http://www.learnaboutpizza.com and explore your new favorite dishes. Have fun!!
Totally drooling right now. This looks so amazing.
I would love to see more miso recipes too, especially different ways to use it like this one. It looks great, I never would of though to use butter and cheese with it. I use miso often in marinades, soups and salads, then it slowly gets pushed in the back of the fridge…gotta pull it out front again!
I buy Miso paste online at Amazon.com but yes it is sold in Asian Markets. Amazon has small and larger sizes for purchase. I like Shiro Miso – White Soybean Paste its so yummy.
Yum, that’s a great looking recipe. I’ll be trying it for sure!
I love a little heat in my food. Should I add dried red pepper flakes, cayenne or hot chilie oil? Also could this be made with pork tenderloin in place of the chicken?
I haven’t seen Miso & Easy in the stores yet. Is Miso & Easy like the packets that come with instant miso soup I’ve seen in the Asian markets? Love how creamy this fusion noodle dish is and light with the use of Greek yogurt.
made this for dinner tonight, it was really yummy. I wasn’t very careful with the pasta water – when you make a regular cream sauce you can just be liberal with it – the yogurt doesn’t really bind with the water as much – so follow the amount on that more carefully than I did. It was a great dish and I’ll make it again.
Interesting that I always wondered what the expiration date on my miso was. I concluded that unless it becomes a mold experiment or becomes too dry, it’s still good! Thanks for sharing these ideas!
Woo…I think this will be really yummy. I can imagine that it is creamy and great taste from the combination of miso, yogurt and cheese. Last time I bought a box of miso and almost throw away half of it. I hope this time I won’t wasted it again. I like the bottle packaging, it is convenience to use. 🙂
happy new year! this looks so good!
Wow this chicken miso pasta looks and sounds fantastic. I look forward to making this for dinner!
Jaden this looks great! Can I get Miso paste from my regular box grocery store? Or is it only found in asian markets?? I am going to buy some miso paste JUST to make this!!!!!
Depends on where you live – if in big city and big market, you can usually find Miso paste in produce section next to tofu 🙂
Wonderful visuals here- thanks for the crystal clear directions! This pasta looks perfect for a cold winter night. Happy New Year!!
Are you still in Thailand/Vietnam!??? I wanna hear more!
This sounds delicious! I had my menu for next week all planned out already, but it looks like I’m going to have to replace something with this!
Look how creamy it all is, yum! I haven’t seen the Miso & Easy in stores around here yet but will keep an eye out for it.
This is the most tempting miso has ever been! ooooh… i need a plate now!
I don’t see the Olive Oil in the ingredient list of the regular version of the recipe. How much Olive Oil should I use?
Hi Julie — Thanks for pointing that out, it is fixed now. We added 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet before sautéing.
Ooooh yummmmm!
I am so excited to try Miso & Easy! I loovvvee Miso soup but have always found it was a pain finding the dashi/bonito flakes.
So glad you featured this today Jaden!!
This looks so stinken good!!! 🙂
I love this! I have never cooked with miso paste before…will definitely have to seek it out, I wonder if World Market carries it?
Miso & Easy can be found at Cost Plus World Market, Mitsuwa online shop, Marukai shop, Amazon.com.
Here’s link to store locations:
http://www.misoandeasy.com/?page_id=148
This looks great! I too have a tub of red miso paste that I’ve been trying to use in more recipes. I made mini Asian meatballs for a party recently with an added spoonful of miso and thought that it really enhanced the flavor. I’ll be making this soon, though I wonder if the red miso would be too smoky a flavor for a cream sauce like this?
The red miso would work fine as well!
The last recipe I saw for pasta with miso used the miso in place of cheese in pesto. I love having the miso be front and center. I love miso mixed with some butter on popcorn.