Miso Butter Pasta with Tuna and Cabbage

User Reviews

4.7

264 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    5 mins

  • Cook Time

    10 mins

  • Total Time

    15 mins

  • Servings

    2

  • Calories

    569 kcal

  • Course

    Main Course

  • Cuisine

    Japanese

Miso Butter Pasta with Tuna and Cabbage

Miso Butter Pasta combines al dente spaghetti tossed with sautéed garlic, tender green cabbage, and canned albacore tuna, all finished with a savory miso butter sauce. The sauce blends miso paste, butter, soy sauce, and mirin, giving a balanced umami character. Reserved pasta water helps create a cohesive, slightly creamy texture. This dish is a flavorful, textured pasta with the addition of vegetables and protein.

Description

This recipe guides preparing spaghetti cooked in well-salted water until just shy of al dente. Concurrently, garlic is thinly sliced and gently sautéed in olive oil in preparation for combining flavors. Green cabbage leaves are cut into bite-sized squares, and canned albacore tuna is drained and broken into pieces to add protein and a mild ocean flavor.

After draining the pasta, the miso butter sauce is prepared by melting unsalted butter with miso paste, and adding soy sauce and mirin for depth. Pasta water reserved during cooking is added to loosen and slightly thicken the sauce, helping it adhere to the noodles and ingredients. The garlic, cabbage, and tuna are stirred in, allowing the cabbage to soften slightly while preserving some texture and the tuna to integrate into the sauce.

This simple yet distinctive pasta features layers of umami from the miso and soy, sweetness from mirin, and richness from butter. It suits a quick meal with familiar pantry ingredients and balances savory and fresh vegetable notes.

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Ingredients

Servings
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt for cooking the pasta, Diamond Crystal brand
  • 7 oz spaghetti
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 leaves green cabbage (5 oz, 142 g)
  • ½ (5-oz) can albacore tuna I use 1 can of 2.8-oz, 80-g Japanese-brand canned tuna, preferably packed in olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 Tbsp butter unsalted
  • 1 Tbsp miso paste
  • ¼ cup water reserved pasta water
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp mirin

Instructions

  1. Gather all the ingredients.

To Cook the Spaghetti

  1. Start boiling 4 quarts (16 cups, 3.8 L) water in a large pot (I used a 4.5 QT Dutch oven). Once boiling, add 1 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 7 oz spaghetti.
  2. Stir to make sure the noodles don’t stick to each other. While waiting for the pasta to cook, prepare the other ingredients. Tip: I usually reduce the pasta‘s recommended cooking time by 1 minute since I will continue cooking it in my sauce afterward. You should be able to prepare the other ingredients in 10 minutes while the spaghetti cooks. If you finish cooking the spaghetti first, drain it.

To Prepare the Ingredients

  1. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients. Peel 2 cloves garlic and thinly slice them.
  2. Remove the tough core of 3 leaves green cabbage and cut into 1-inch-square pieces.
  3. Drain ½ (5-oz) can albacore tuna (preferably packed in olive oil). Break any big chunks into smaller pieces (optional).

To Cook the Miso Butter Pasta

  1. Heat 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. While the oil is still not hot yet, add the garlic to start infusing its flavor into the oil. Make sure to coat the garlic with the oil.
  2. When the garlic is sizzling and well coated with oil, add the cabbage and coat with the oil for 2 minutes or so.
  3. Add the canned tuna and toss it together with the cabbage.
  4. Add freshly ground black pepper, 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, and 1 Tbsp miso. Stir to mix well and let the butter melt completely.
  5. Reserve ¼ cup reserved pasta water and add to the frying pan.
  6. Shake the pan and mix all the ingredients together. Make sure to dissolve the miso during this time.
  7. Add 2 tsp soy sauce and 2 tsp mirin.
  8. When the spaghetti is done cooking, pick up the noodles with a pair of tongs (or you can quickly drain in the sink) and add to the pan. Toss the spaghetti to mix it all together.
  9. Season the spaghetti with freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add salt if needed. The reserved pasta water I added has enough salt, so I do not add additional salt here. Serve the pasta to individual dishes. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 569kcal (28%) Carbohydrates 83g (28%) Protein 23g (46%) Fat 15g (23%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 29mg (10%) Sodium 755mg (31%) Potassium 444mg (9%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 275IU (6%) Vitamin C 27mg (30%) Calcium 72mg (7%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 569 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 569kcal 28%
Carbohydrates 83g 28%
Protein 23g 46%
Fat 15g 23%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 29mg 10%
Sodium 755mg 31%
Potassium 444mg 9%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 7g 14%
Vitamin A 275IU 6%
Vitamin C 27mg 30%
Calcium 72mg 7%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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4.7

264 reviews
Excellent

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