miso butter garlic noodles

greetings from the land of deep-january where all i can think of is getting on an airplane to literally anywhere but here and eating only creamy buttery noods until the days get longer. i’m taking a breath and moment about both, because january’s gonna january and i’m girding my loins to barrel through it.

my question for you is: how are you finding bright, joyful spots in the depths and dregs of winter? i’ve been taking some life-changing walks in the morning when the sun is just-risen with my dog, boiling hot bubble baths, and letting myself pancake horizontally on the couch for a long as i need (which has proven to be quite long, most days.) my husband (still not used to saying this!!) and i have a trip planned to mexico city in april, which is holding my hope on a string for the next couple of months. i’m always looking to sneak in more little trips so if you have recommendations, send them my way!

anyway, if you only do one this for yourself this week, maybe it’s noods. creamy buttery slurpy miso garlic noods.

my love for these miso butter garlic noodles knows nearly no bounds - i love, love, love adding in miso paste to an unexpected dish, and it works beautifully with butter and garlic. we’re working with a few really robust flavors that still leave us with gentle, creamy buttered noods, and this dish comes together in a flash.

personally, i like these noodles on their own for a quick, fun dinner, but i did also saute some broccoli and zucchini and tossed it with the leftovers for a few work lunches. you do you, friends. there are no wrong answers when it comes to miso butter garlic noodles.

a few things before we get started:
- if I haven’t made it quite plain up until this point, these noodles are creamy buttery salty briney slurpy perfection. indulgent, sure. necessary, absolutely.
- you can definitely add a veggie to this dish! broccoli, brussel sprouts, or bok choy would be great.
- i can’t speak for any substitutes in this recipe; butter and cream are pretty essential, so if you’re dairy free i might gently steer you towards grown up buttered noodles instead.
- furikake is a japanese seasoning made with nori, sesame seeds, salt, and a little sugar. trader joes has a cheapy version, and most grocery stores will stock it in their asian aisle. it’s great!

miso butter garlic noodles
makes: 4 servings
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 10 minutes

8oz pasta - i used fettucine, but any shape will work
4tbsp butter
2tbsp miso paste
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1/4c cream or milk
juice of 1 lime
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
2tsp furikake (optional, but highly recommend)

cook the pasta to al dente, reserving 1/2c of pasta water before draining.

while the pasta cooks, heat a skillet over medium-low. add the butter and miso, and whisk slowly until the miso incorporates with the butter. add the garlic, cream, lime juice, salt and pepper, and simmer for a few minutes.

add the cooked pasta to the miso butter, then add the reserved pasta water (this will help combine the miso butter and add a richness to the noodles.) stir the noodles until they are coated with the miso butter, then top with furikake to serve.