Miso Chipotle Pasta

Get ready for a clash of nationalities. This miso chipotle pasta takes Asian, Mexican, and Italian flavors to create an unbelievably delicious dish.

This pasta dish is spicy, smokey, and yet surprisingly bright. If you like things spicy, but your tolerance is low this one is for you. Best part? This dish is ready in 20 minutes and takes minimal prep making it a great weeknight dinner.

Chipotles in adobo was my lifeline in college. At a $1.50 a can it was an inexpensive way to add flavor. Oh and did i use it to add flavor. I would put this stuff on everything, chicken, sauces, I even had a dish I called “Mexican lasagna” that heavily relied on the spicy, tangy, smokey flavor of this little magical can. I used chipotles in adobo so much that I needed a break… that lasted several years. Well years later here I am trying to incorporate it into pasta. Truthfully this dish took 4 different tests, and it wasn’t until a 3am ah ha moment of adding in miso that it all came together.

ALL ABOUT MISO

If you haven’t cooked with miso before it’s time you buy a box. Miso is not just for soup anymore. Alone it’s super salty, funky, toasty, and sometimes sweet. Add it to a dish and it completely transforms it adding a depth of flavor. This recipe calls for white miso however if you are new to miso and have no idea the difference between the varieties i jotted down just a few quick notes to clarify things. Below is a breakdown of miso by color. Note every miso has a technical name (ie. shiro, aka, ect…) but in western culture and recipes a lot of times it referred as the color. If you want to dive deeper into miso i suggest you learn more about the different types of miso beyond the color. These are two great sources to read more, Bon Appétit + Just One Cookbook.

• White Miso – Very mild and sweet. Good for sauces, aiolis, and dressings as well as seafood, chicken, and vegetables.
• Yellow Miso – Mild and earthy. Good for sauces, soups, and marinades.
• Red Miso – Deep umami flavor. Warning this can overwhelm a dish. Use for heartier deeper flavored dishes like heartier soups, heavier sauces (ie. a meat sauce), and braises.
• Black Miso – Strongest flavor miso.

A good general rule of thumb is the darker the color the more intense salty umami flavor.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE MISO CHIPOTLE PASTA

• Pasta – As always players choice. I love farfalle here, but anything works.
• Shallot – Ah the onion’s less pungent, sweeter friend.
• Garlic – Fresh as always.
• Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Probably the most important ingredient. You can often find a small can in the international food aisle. It is important to pick up the chipotle peppers in adobo, and not just chipotle peppers. Why? The adobo adds a deep smokey flavor to the pasta. It MAKES the sauce.
• Miso Paste – White miso, unless you prefer yellow. I used a Dashi white miso from Miko brand which adds just an extra layer of umami and flavor.
• Cilantro – I know, I over use this herb, but this pasta is SCREAMING for a fresh bright flavor and cilantro just hits the right note. A little cilantro hack, don’t pick the leaves off the steam. Unlike parsley, the cilantro steams are completely edible, in fact the steams have more flavor than the leaves.
• Tomato Paste
• Heavy Cream – You only need a splash, which is annoying if you don’t have heavy cream on hand. A good substitute here is half and half.
• Butter

HOW TO MAKE MISO CHIPOTLE PASTA

Prepare the Pasta – Prepare the pasta in salty water, think heavy, heavy pinch as per packing instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. You won’t need all the pasta water but it is always good to save more than you need, just in case. Put pasta on the side for later use.

Make the Sauce – In a pan over low – medium heat melt the butter. Once melted, add the garlic and shallots. Cook for 2-3 minutes until soft, fragrant but not brown. Add the tomato paste and chipotle peppers. Mix to combine. Cook for 3-5 minutes, constantly stirring to ensure it doesn’t stick and burn. Pour in 3/4 cup of pasta water, followed by adding the cilantro. Reduce until desired consistency, no more than 5-7 minutes. If you take it too far add more pasta water. Add pasta, and toss to coat.

STORING/REHEATING

This pasta can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Save that 1/4 cup of pasta water! Fill up ice cubes 1/2 way (for smaller amounts), and freeze. When ready to reheat pop this pasta in a pan on low heat with a cube at a time until the pasta is warm and the sauce has loosened. Or use the microwave, that always works, not as well, but it gets the job done.

Love this miso chipotle pasta and are looking for more spicy pasta? Check out Spicy Vodka Rigatoni or Spicy Sun-dried Tomato Pasta.