Looking for the best pasta recipes that call for just a handful of pantry ingredients and little prep work, but still deliver big flavors? This Miso Butter Pasta with Tuna and Cabbage is exactly what you’ll need.
Why You’ll Love This Japanese-Style Pasta
Japanese home cooks take advantage of canned fish for busy days or when we don’t have time to shop. In my kitchen, I always have a few cans of sardines, anchovies, and tuna. They are survival food with lots of potential. When you combine the canned fish with essential pantry staples like rice and pasta, it turns into a full-blown meal, like this Japanese-style Miso Butter Pasta. In this recipe, I combine canned tuna and long-lasting cabbage in the pasta, and season it with Japanese flavors. While cabbage lends freshness and crunch, the tuna adds bulk, depth, and complexity. The whole meal takes me only 15 minutes to put together. It’s delicious, super convenient, and economical!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Miso Butter Pasta
Here are what you need to make this pantry-focused pasta:
spaghetti – or any kind of pasta you prefer/have kosher salt – for seasoning the pasta water to boil the noodles green cabbage – substitute with frozen peas or other greens canned tuna – for vegan/vegetarian, use deep-fried firm tofu, tofu puffs, or more vegetables garlic – it adds extra flavor! miso – use any type of miso butter – I use unsalted, but if you only have salted butter, please adjust the amount of salt in the pasta water, miso, or soy sauce. extra virgin olive oil – for frying the garlic freshly ground black pepper soy sauce – a splash of soy sauce makes a difference—yes, really! mirin – Japanese sweet rice wine that adds a subtly sweet and mildly acidic flavor
How To Make Miso Butter Pasta
Here’s an overview of how to make this easy dish. See the recipe card below for full instructions and cooking tips:
Miso For Extra Umami
As simple as the pasta sounds, it doesn’t compromise on flavor. Thanks to miso, the secret weapon in my Japanese pantry, it gives the dish a much-needed sweet-savory umami oomph. Although you can use any type of miso for this recipe, my recommendation is this organic Kodawattemasu Miso by Hikari Miso. It is by far my favorite miso that I have been using for over a decade! I’ve been sharing delicious and easy miso recipes every month in partnership with the company, so do check out if you enjoy miso in the recipe. And remember that every type and brand of miso has a different level of saltiness. So it’s important to taste your miso first, then adjust the desired amount of miso for each recipe.
Itadakimasu!
Keep this Miso Butter Pasta recipe in your back pocket now, and throw it together any night of the week when simple is your life mantra. Cooking for kids? Feel free to sprinkle it with some shaved parmesan. Enjoy! If you like this miso-infused pasta, check out my creamy miso pasta with tofu and asparagus. It’s vegetarian-friendly!
Other Japanese-Style Pasta Recipes on Just One Cookbook
Creamy Mushroom and Bacon Pasta Classic Mentaiko Pasta Ume Shiso Pasta Japanese-style Pasta with Shrimp and Broccolini
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