Pumpkin Miso Pasta

This 5-ingredient pumpkin miso pasta is my answer to any need for a quick dinner. This recipe is vegan, easily make gluten free, so simple and so quick. You just add all your ingredients to a pan, reduce, add your pasta and boom. Dinner is on the table. You can use a high-protein pasta to make this a full meal, or just add on any tofu recipe and you have a complete dish in minutes.

This miso pasta combines fall comfort food with straight-up-easiness, and it truly cannot be beat. The recipe itself is simple, but I’ll go into more detail about how to use pumpkin with miso paste below!

First, what is miso paste?

Miso is a salty, delicious paste that you can find at most Asian grocery stores or specialty food markets, and what’s great is more and more generic grocery stores are also carrying it as well.

Miso paste is a fermented paste that’s made by combining a mixture of soybeans with a mold called koji, which is typically used to make sake. After the initial inoculation, it’s all about time to let the miso ferment and gain more flavor. White miso tends to be younger and have a milder flavor, while red and darker miso tend to have more age and more flavor.

Ingredients for this pumpkin miso pasta

Without the breadcrumbs, all you need is five ingredients. Here is everything you need to bring together this pumpkin with miso paste:

For the pasta

• 16 ounces dried pasta of choice, plus salt for the water
• 6 ounces canned pumpkin purée, 1/2 of a can
• 3 tbsp white miso paste
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes, less if you are spice-sensitive
• 1 cup plant-based milk of choice, unflavored and unsweetened

Optional breadcrumbs

• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp dried rosemary

Why combine pumpkin with miso paste?

This is my favorite question, because the answer is annoyingly simple – it’s all about sweet meets savory bb! Miso is one of the best ingredients to source pure, amazing, umami, savory flavor. I can’t describe it, but it’s like salty with depth of flavor. It’s so good.

And pumpkin of course has a natural sweetness. This vegetable is unique because it gives off a subtle hint of sweetness in every bite, making it a fall favorite for adding to both sweet and savory dishes.

In this instance, pumpkin and miso make the perfect pair. We naturally crave sweet-and-salty, and these two ingredients make it happen perfectly.

How to make the breadcrumb topping

The breadcrumbs really are simple, you just need to pull out the blender or food processor (I know I knowwww, I try not to, but it’s worth it!) Here are the details:

• If you are opting to add the breadcrumbs, begin by preparing them first. Pulse the panko, sage, fennel and rosemary in a food processor until you have an even breadcrumb consistency.
• Toast the breadcrumbs either on the stovetop or under your oven’s broiler for about 4-5 minutes, or until golden. Set to the side.

How to make this pumpkin pasta with miso paste

If you are new here, my biggest issue is I give too much detail. Like way too much. It’s how I tell you guys I love you 🥺 So here’s how to make this simple miso pasta, in way too much detail:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt to the pasta water, then the pasta. Boil until al dente, for most pastas this is about 7 minutes.
• While the pasta is boiling, bring a skillet to medium heat. Add the pumpkin, miso paste and red pepper flakes to the pan. Immediately begin to mix the ingredients together.
• About 1/4 cup at a time, gradually add the milk to the pan, stirring constantly so that all of the ingredients meld together. During this time you are cooking the “raw” flavor out of the pumpkin, while simultaneously bringing out the umami flavor of the miso. Cook this mixture on the stove for about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• When you see the sauce start to thicken and reduce, turn off the heat source but keep the pan on the stove.
• When your pasta is done boiling, reserve 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water. Drain the rest.
• Add the pasta directly into the pan with the sauce. Mix to combine, then using 1 tbsp at a time, gradually add in the pasta water. You might not need all of the water, so just add until you think the sauce is smooth, glossy, and coating the pasta.
• Top with the breadcrumbs and serve warm!

Looking for other pasta recipes?

Here are a few of my favorites, and all of them are just as simple as this one 🙂

Watch the recipe video here:

https://youtu.be/FkyAmh93YqY

And that’s it for this pumpkin miso pasta! I can’t wait to see if you guys like it.

If you do make this, please tag me on Instagram or Pinterest, I would love to see! PS if you make it and love it, it would mean the world to me if you left a review below, it helps the website more than you know <3

And of course leave a comment if you have any questions! You all know this is the best place to reach me.