Miso Butter Salmon Pasta (Printable)

Tender salmon and crisp bok choy tossed with pasta in a creamy miso butter sauce.

# What You Need:

→ 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 - ⅓ cup heavy cream
11 - 1 tsp sesame oil
12 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

13 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
14 - Lemon wedges

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ 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 sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
03 - Add salmon pieces to the skillet and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes per side until just cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
04 - Add remaining butter to the skillet and melt. Whisk in miso paste, soy sauce, and mirin until smooth.
05 - Stir in heavy cream and black pepper. Add chopped bok choy and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just wilted.
06 - Return cooked salmon to the skillet and gently toss to coat with the sauce.
07 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss everything together. Add reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky sauce consistency.
08 - Plate immediately and garnish with sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and lemon wedges as desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It feels like restaurant-quality cooking but comes together faster than takeout delivery.
  • The miso butter sauce transforms simple ingredients into something deeply savory and crave-worthy.
  • You get tender salmon, creamy pasta, and crisp greens all in one skillet—minimal cleanup, maximum flavor.
02 -
  • Do not overcook the salmon—it continues to cook slightly once it hits the hot sauce, and overcooked salmon becomes grainy and sad.
  • Whisk the miso paste into the butter first before adding cream; trying to blend miso directly into cream results in stubborn clumps that never smooth out.
  • Save that pasta water like your dinner depends on it because the starch is what transforms a simple cream sauce into something that clings to every strand of pasta.
03 -
  • If your miso paste has been in the fridge for months and looks separated, that's completely normal—just stir it back together before measuring.
  • Use fresh sesame oil for the best flavor; the older it gets, the less aromatic it becomes and you'll lose that toasted quality that rounds out the entire dish.
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