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Recipe

Miso butter noodles

A ten-minute bowl for the nights when cooking feels like too much.

  • weeknight
  • noodles
  • 10 minutes

The whole point of this one is that it asks almost nothing of you. One pot, one pan, and the kind of pantry things that are always around. I make it when I'm tired and want something that still tastes like I tried.

What you need

  • A portion of dried noodles — udon, ramen, even spaghetti in a pinch
  • 1 tbsp white miso
  • 1 tbsp butter, cold
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • A splash of the starchy pasta water
  • Scallions and a soft-boiled egg, if you have them

How

  1. Boil the noodles. While they cook, mash the miso, butter, and garlic together in the bottom of your bowl.
  2. Scoop out a little of the cooking water and loosen the paste with it until it's glossy.
  3. Drain the noodles, toss them through the sauce, and keep tossing — the emulsion is what makes it.
  4. Top with scallions and the egg. Eat immediately, ideally on the sofa.

The cold butter matters. Warm butter splits; cold butter emulsifies into something silky. Small thing, big difference.