Miso Butter Salmon Pasta (Print Version)

Delicate salmon and bok choy combined with creamy miso butter and pasta for a savory fusion dish.

# Components:

→ 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

# Directions:

01 - Boil linguine in salted water until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tbsp butter and sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
03 - Add salmon pieces to skillet and cook gently 2–3 minutes per side until just cooked through. Remove salmon and set aside.
04 - Add remaining butter to skillet and melt. Whisk in white miso paste, soy sauce, and mirin until smooth.
05 - Pour in heavy cream and black pepper, stirring to combine. 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. Toss all ingredients together, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky sauce consistency.
08 - Plate immediately, garnishing with sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The miso-butter sauce tastes impossibly elegant but comes together in one skillet with no fussy techniques.
  • Salmon cooks perfectly in the time it takes pasta to boil—everything finishes at once, no juggling.
  • One dish delivers that restaurant-quality umami depth that makes you feel like you've done something special.
02 -
  • Miso paste needs to be whisked into melted butter or warm liquid first, or it'll clump stubbornly and ruin the whole sauce—don't just dump it in cold.
  • The pasta water's starch is what turns a thin sauce into a silky one; without it, no amount of cream will coat properly, so always reserve it before draining.
  • Salmon cooks faster than you think, especially in small pieces; overcooked salmon turns mealy and chalky, so watch the clock and trust that it keeps cooking in the sauce.
03 -
  • Tasting the sauce before the pasta goes in gives you one last chance to adjust salt or acid; a squeeze of lemon juice can brighten everything if it feels heavy.
  • Bite into a piece of salmon as you plate to make sure it's cooked through but still tender—this is the check that separates good from forgettable.
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