Miso Butter Salmon Pasta (Printable)

Salmon and pasta combine with a creamy miso butter sauce and fresh bok choy for a flavorful meal.

# What You'll 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 - Boil linguine in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain, and set aside.
02 - Melt 1 tbsp butter with sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
03 - Add salmon pieces to the skillet and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes per side until just cooked through. Remove and set aside.
04 - Add remaining butter to the skillet. Once melted, whisk in white miso paste, soy sauce, and mirin until smooth.
05 - Pour in heavy cream and season with black pepper. Stir to combine, then incorporate chopped bok choy. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until bok choy wilts.
06 - Gently add cooked salmon back into the skillet and toss to coat evenly with the sauce.
07 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss all ingredients together, adding reserved pasta water as needed for a smooth consistency.
08 - Plate immediately and garnish with sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and lemon wedges as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The miso butter sauce creates this silky, umami rich coating that clings to every strand of pasta in the most luxurious way possible
  • Salmon stays tender and flaky because it is gently cooked first, then folded back in at the end so it never dries out
  • Bok choy adds the perfect crisp tender contrast, cutting through all that creamy richness with fresh crunch
02 -
  • Do not let the garlic brown or it will turn bitter and overwhelm the delicate miso flavor
  • The sauce will continue thickening off heat, so remove it slightly thinner than you want it to finish
  • Salmon carries residual heat, so undercook it slightly in the initial pan fry step
03 -
  • Let the skillet cool slightly before whisking in the cream to prevent separating
  • Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes until fragrant for maximum flavor impact
  • Cut bok choy stems and leaves separately, adding stems 1 minute before leaves for even cooking
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