Butter and miso are a great flavor combo and, if you just consult the internet, an extremely popular salve for vegetables, seafood and meat. But something clicked when I saw a recipe for vegan pesto touting miso as the best substitute for parmesan cheese.
Extrapolating from that idea — and maybe this nominally qualifies as another stupid food trick — the combination of miso and butter begs further inquiry.
Don’t read me wrong: I don’t have anything against cheese. But I love a challenge, and where could we take this culinary affront?
Flavor-wise, miso has the salty funk of brined and aged cow’s milk cheese and their glutamate umami punch, the re-introduced butterfat of this combination, accentuates the effect. After an epic fail or two, the culinary strengths and tasty delight of the pairing became clear.
Thinking that even a faux parmesan screams for pasta, I fixated on a misremembered asparagus carbonara recipe. As the season for those tender spears of delight is nigh, a pasta sauce began to take shape.
The addition of egg yolks, hazily remembered from a River Cafe recipe, adds a silken creaminess to the sauce, calling to mind a classically cheesy pasta Alfredo. Lemon zest and juice impart a seasonal brightness and tart punch that highlights the asparagus and would surely work with peas or spring onions or other seasonal vegetables. I chose spaghetti as the delivery platform but fettuccini or almost any other noodle or pasta shape would do,
The butter may present a problem for some and, if you were shooting for something lighter, the first stop might be olive oil. Regardless, this particular approach has potential for a host of international dishes. Try adding minced or grated ginger and thinning it to a broth-like consistency for an Asian inflection served over soba, ramen or Thai noodles. A little peppery fire and a garnish of mint or cilantro wouldn’t be out of place. Closer to home, a take on classic American mac & cheese is begging to be explored in the fall or winter.
Asparagus Miso-Butter Pasta “Alfredo”
Serves 4
- 1 pound asparagus spears, tough ends removed
- 4 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 small clove garlic, grated fine
- 6 tablespoons white miso, reserved to a measuring cup
- 5 scallions, white part only, bias-sliced thin and reserved, greens bias-sliced ¼-inch reserved for garnish
- 1 lemon, grated zest and fresh-squeezed juice reserved separately
- 2 eggs yolks, whisked, in a small bowl
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- Fresh grated white (or black) pepper for serving
1. Cut the tips from the asparagus and reserve. Cut stalks on the bias into ½-inch slices and reserve with the tips. Bring a saucepan of water to a medium boil and salt it lightly. When the water is boiling, add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water to completely stop the cooking. Once most of the water is drained, reserve to a bowl lined with paper towels.
2. In the same saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. (Salt lightly, if at all, as the miso will be sufficiently salty for the dish.) Add ½ cup of the warm pasta water to the miso and whisk to liquefy. Add the miso to the saucepan with the warm butter and bring to a very low simmer, whisking to incorporate. Add the garlic and lemon zest.
3. Add the spaghetti to the pasta pot. Stir with tongs or a pasta rake to keep the strands from sticking. While the pasta boils, temper the eggs with ¼ cup or so of the butter-miso mixture. When smooth, add to the saucepan, whisking to incorporate at a low simmer. When it starts to thicken, add the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the pasta water, whisking to incorporate, and the sliced scallion whites.
4. Reserve a cup or two of the pasta cooking water. When the pasta is done, drain it. While it drains, quickly add the asparagus to the miso-butter sauce to warm. Add more of the reserved pasta water to the sauce to achieve a light, creamy consistency. Return the drained pasta to the pot and toss with the tablespoon of butter. You may toss the miso-butter alfredo with the pasta in a large pot and serve or serve the pasta individually topped by the sauce. Garnish with the reserved scallion greens and a grind of pepper.
