Walnut Miso Noodles

The markets here are full of color right now. Golden, red and orange beets. Grapefruit with pink flesh. Tiny purple striped artichokes. Deep dark leaf green. This week I filled my basket with my favorite eggs, a loaf of whole wheat bread, fresh tofu, lots of leeks and spring onions, chard with bright pink stems, and a bunch of pencil-thin asparagus. With the spare change in my pocket, I bought a small bouquet of flowers in the colors of the sunset and headed home. A few of my finds when straight into my lunch, this hearty noodle bowl.

I made a quick, creamy walnut miso dressing and drizzled it over whole wheat pasta, lots of asparagus, leftover tofu, and a few other ingredients I had on hand. I was quite hungry, or I might have taken the time to top off with a poached egg or two. Something I’ve done many times over the years since I first did this.

The main ingredients here are whole wheat pasta tossed in a walnut miso dressing. To make this seasonal, I added asparagus, scallions, and a big dollop of warming chili paste. I also tossed some leftover tofu on top. The pasta and dressing are the foundation here, play around with all the different ways you can finish the bowl to make a balanced meal out of it.

For example, in the past I’ve used lively chard leaves and stalks (pictured below) and another version with caramelized onions, roasted pumpkin, veggies, and some cheese. If you’re looking for a summer or early fall version, try roasted tomatoes, basil, and roasted peppers.

The ingredients

pasta: Here you can use different noodles. My favorite for this recipe is these farro spaghetti, but use whole wheat pasta or any whole wheat pasta you like. Soba noodles are another great option!

toppings: Blanched (grilled or fried) seasonal vegetables, herbs and scallions, something spicy (Calabrian chili paste, sesame chili paste or Sriracha), a poached egg, sliced ​​avocado

miso: Feel free to experiment with the type of miso you use in the dressing. I started with a mild white miso paste but am now leaning towards using red miso.

nuts: I almost always use toasted walnuts here, but toasted cashews or almonds are also fair game if you have any.

The name of the game here is flexibility. Once you’ve dialed in the pasta and dressing, really focus on making the veggies and other toppings great. And if you like this recipe, you can find many more pasta recipes here.

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