Miso Butter Salmon Pasta (Printable)

Tender salmon combined with pasta and bok choy in a rich miso butter sauce for a flavorful fusion meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ Seafood

01 - 14 oz skinless salmon fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Pasta

02 - 10 oz linguine or spaghetti

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 heads baby bok choy, chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 scallions, sliced (for garnish)

→ Sauce

06 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
07 - 2 tbsp white miso paste
08 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
09 - 2 tbsp mirin
10 - ⅓ cup heavy cream
11 - 1 tsp sesame oil
12 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

13 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
14 - Lemon wedges

# How to Make:

01 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente per package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain, and set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tbsp butter and sesame oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
03 - Add salmon pieces; cook gently 2–3 minutes per side until just cooked through. Remove and set aside.
04 - Add remaining butter to skillet. Once melted, whisk in miso paste, soy sauce, and mirin until smooth.
05 - Stir in heavy cream and black pepper. Add chopped bok choy and cook 2–3 minutes until just wilted.
06 - Return salmon to skillet and gently toss to coat with sauce.
07 - Add drained pasta to skillet and toss with sauce, incorporating reserved pasta water as needed for a silky consistency.
08 - Plate immediately, garnished with sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes restaurant-quality but comes together in under 35 minutes, which means you can actually make it on a Tuesday night too.
  • The miso butter sauce is the kind of thing that makes people ask for your recipe, and you get to smile knowing it's simpler than they think.
  • It bridges Japanese and Italian cooking in a way that feels natural rather than forced, giving you permission to break the rules in your own kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't let the miso paste sit in the hot pan without stirring—it'll scorch on the bottom and taste burnt, which is the one thing that can't be fixed after it happens.
  • The pasta water isn't just filler; it contains starch that actually emulsifies the sauce and makes it cling to every strand, which is the difference between a silky coating and a puddle.
  • Salmon cooks faster than you think, and it keeps cooking even after you take it off the heat, so slightly underdone is better than slightly overdone.
03 -
  • Reserve your pasta water before you drain—it's the difference between a sauce that coats your noodles and one that slides off.
  • Taste the miso paste before you add it to the pan if you've never had it before; understanding what it tastes like helps you know when the sauce is right.
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