Miso mushroom pasta

Ingredients:

Salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

2 medium leeks, trimmed, white and light green parts thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (such as cremini, shiitake and/or oyster mushrooms), stemmed and sliced

1 pound short pasta, such as ziti or cavatappi

2 tablespoons white miso

3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing

1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves and tender stems

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or deep 12-inch skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the leeks, season with salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. If they look dry at any point, add a drizzle of oil.

Add the mushrooms to the leeks, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring every 2 minutes, until the mushrooms have browned, about 10 minutes. (If they are done before the pasta, then adjust the heat to low.)

When the water is ready, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Halfway through the cooking process, reserve 1 cup of water and let cool slightly on the counter. Drain the pasta in a colander and drizzle with olive oil if done before the mushrooms.

When both the mushrooms and pasta are done, stir the miso into the reserved pasta water until mostly dissolved. Add it to the Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat along with the pasta, cheese and vinegar, stirring vigorously until a cheesy sauce forms and coats the noodles, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and season to taste with more vinegar if needed.

Garnish with the parsley and more cheese; serve with a final drizzle of oil.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025951-miso-mushroom-and-leek-pasta

Alternative version with cream and butter and no leeks:

https://food52.com/recipes/77676-miso-mushroom-pasta

Ingredients 

• 7 ounces dried pasta, such as bucatini
  
• 4 ounces mushrooms (I use an equal mix of shimeji, eryngii, and oyster mushrooms, but most other combinations are good too)
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar, or white wine vinegar
  
• 2 teaspoons red miso paste
  
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  
• 5 garlic cloves
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
  
• 1 stalk of scallion, finely sliced
  
• 1 pinch salt
  
• 1 pinch black pepper
  

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Season generously with salt until it's nearly as salty as the sea, then add dried pasta. Cook the pasta until just under al dente (a minute less than on its package directions), then drain the pasta and set aside.
2. Chop or pull apart the mushrooms into large, bite-sized chunks. Then, heat a large skillet over high heat with a tablespoon of vegetable oil, and sauté the mushrooms for 3-5 minutes until nicely browned. When they are done, add a little sherry vinegar to the pan with the mushrooms, give them a little toss, and set aside. It’s best to cook the mushrooms in 2-3 batches and not overcrowd the pan to allow them to brown evenly. 
3. To start on the sauce, whisk the red miso paste and butter together in a small bowl until it comes together to form a smooth, fluffy paste. 
4. In a medium saucepan, add the minced garlic and a tablespoon of oil, and stir-fry over medium heat for 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant. Add in the sautéed mushrooms. Then, add in the miso-butter mixture and cream, and bring this sauce to a boil, stirring gently. Finally, add the cooked pasta into the sauce, and stir until the pasta is well coated. Salt it to taste, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the pasta is al dente, then remove from the heat.
5. Portion the pasta into two bowls, and top with sliced scallions and freshly cracked black pepper.