Miso Butter Salmon Pasta (Printable View)

Salmon and bok choy combine with miso butter and pasta for a rich, flavorful dish.

# 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 - 1/3 cup heavy cream
11 - 1 tsp sesame oil
12 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

13 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
14 - Lemon wedges

# How to Make:

01 - Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain and set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tbsp butter and sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
03 - Add salmon pieces to skillet, cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes per side until just cooked through, then remove and set aside.
04 - Add remaining butter to skillet; once melted, whisk in miso paste, soy sauce, and mirin until smooth.
05 - Pour in heavy cream and black pepper, stir to combine, then add chopped bok choy and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.
06 - Return salmon to skillet and gently toss to coat with sauce.
07 - Add drained pasta to skillet, toss everything together, adding reserved pasta water as needed for a silky consistency.
08 - Transfer to plates and garnish with scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and lemon wedges as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours simmering a sauce, but comes together in under 35 minutes.
  • The miso butter creates an addictive umami depth that makes you reach for seconds without thinking.
  • Salmon and pasta shouldn't work this well together, but somehow they do—it's the kind of happy accident worth making again.
02 -
  • The miso paste needs to be whisked smooth into butter before cream touches it, or you'll have grainy, broken sauce that no amount of stirring fixes.
  • Don't cook the salmon all the way through on the first go—it finishes cooking when you return it to the hot sauce, so slightly underdone is the target.
  • Pasta water is not optional; it's the difference between a separated, greasy sauce and one that clings beautifully to every strand.
03 -
  • Reserve the pasta water before draining; cold pasta water added after the fact doesn't emulsify the same way as hot starch.
  • Taste your miso paste before committing the whole batch to the sauce—brands vary wildly in saltiness, so adjust soy sauce accordingly.
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