Pasta With Miso, Parmesan and Pickled Peppers

Updated Oct. 15, 2025

Pasta With Miso, Parmesan and Pickled Peppers
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(228)
Comments
Read comments

A little miso paste and a dash of soy sauce add umami complexity to this simple garlicky pantry pasta, while using pickled peppers, instead of the usual chile flakes, lends acidity as well as heat. Mild white miso works best here, integrating seamlessly with the other flavors. But you can substitute yellow or red miso if that’s what you have on hand; just take care when adding extra salt, tasting as you go.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 3 servings 
  • Salt, as needed
  • 8ounces spaghetti, bucatini, linguine or other long pasta shape
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2garlic cloves, finely grated
  • ½teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • tablespoons white miso paste
  • 2teaspoons soy sauce
  • ½cup finely grated Parmesan 
  • 2 to 3tablespoons chopped pickled peppers, such as pepperoncini, jalapeños or cherry pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 servings)

538 calories; 23 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 812 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then season it liberally with salt; it should taste as salty as the sea. Add pasta to the pot and cook until just shy of al dente (check package directions and subtract a minute or so). Using a mug or measuring cup, scoop out about ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain pasta well.

  2. Step 2

    While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the miso, soy sauce and ½ cup pasta water, and whisk until the miso melts and the mixture is smooth.

  3. Step 3

    Toss in the pasta, Parmesan and pickled peppers. Using tongs, keep tossing until everything is well combined and the pasta is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes, adding more pasta water as needed to make things saucy. Season with more salt, if needed, and serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
228 user ratings
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Comments

Adding salt to a dish on the plate is not the same as properly salting pasta as it cooks. That said, whenever I am planning to add pasta water to a sauce that is already salty, I go easier on the salt in the water. But never without.

This screams for a can of tuna, or sprats, or sardines…

Pasta cooked in heavily salted water overpowers any sauce that dresses it. All of the ingredients for this sauce are salt bombs in themselves, so I would want the pasta only lightly seasoned before I combine it with the sauce. You can always add more of something to lift the sodium level, but you can't reduce it.

This is almost stupidly delicious. I only had 2 tbs of butter, so I added some olive oil. I tried it in its own and WOW! But I’d read some of the other comments and decided on adding a small can of oil-packed tuna. This is a great pantry dish that I’ll be making again and again.

Delicious and sooo pantry-friendly! My mom asked me when I could make it again ❤️

Perfect pantry pasta - wouldn't change a thing. Although, come to think of it I only had 2 T of butter so subbed in 2 of olive oil. Still perfect.

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