Miso-Parmesan Pasta With Chili Crisp

• servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil or another neutral oil

1 medium white onion, finely chopped (about 2 ounces)

4 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated

kosher salt

¼ cups white miso

1 tablespoon mild doenjang (Korean fermented bean paste)

3 tablespoons spicy chili crisp, such as Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp

1 teaspoon chili oil

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1 cup (3.5 ounces) grated parmesan cheese

17 twists freshly ground black pepper

1 pound linguine

Chopped scallions, for garnish

Crumbled nori, for garnish

Directions

In a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the miso and doenjang and stir until it resembles a loose paste that can be moved around easily in the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the chili crisp and chili oil and stir to combine.Add the chicken stock and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens so that a spoon leaves a wide trail when dragged through, about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the cheese, a few generous pinches at a time, stirring continuously until it becomes a smooth sauce. Season with pepper, taste and add more salt, if desired. Keep the sauce over a very low heat, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the pasta.

In a large pot, add enough salted water to cover the pasta by about 1 1/2 inches (the more water you add, the more you dilute your chance at the cloudy starch water you want). Bring to a boil over high heat, add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions suggest. Drain, reserving the pasta water. (If you have leftover pasta with the sauce, you will want the reserved pasta water for reheating.)

Raise the heat under the skillet to medium-low. Transfer the drained pasta to the skillet and toss in the sauce until combined. Add about 1/4 cup of the pasta water and stir the sauce-covered pasta for 1 minute. The sauce will become somewhat looser. This is what you want — a wetter sauce where your pasta cooks to al dente. Repeat this process two more times, allowing 1 full minute of mixing between the additions of water, for a total of 3 minutes. The starchy water will act as a binder, enabling the sauce to cling to the noodle.

Remove the skillet from the heat and let the pasta cool for 2 minutes. For little more oomph, garnish with a handful of finely diced scallions and/or crumbled nori.

NOTE: If you plan to reheat the sauce, reserve pasta water.

Nutrition

• Calories: 439
• Total Fat: 26 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 48 mg
• Sodium: 1151 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 33 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 7 g
• Protein: 18 g