Fettuccine with Miso Meat Sauce

Yet another delicious pasta dish to enjoy! Salty miso combined with savory ground beef creates a unique flavor to pair with fettuccine. With notes of sesame and vinegar, this quick dish is an excellent balance of Japanese flavor with Western style.

I love noodles. I love Japanese food. The combination of the two…. delicious. There are so many excellent Western style, or yoshoku (洋食), pasta dishes combining the best of both worlds, and this dish is no exception. Quick to make yet full of complex flavor, this miso based sauce is sure to satisfy. It reminds me of the spaghetti and meat sauce of my childhood, but with a much lighter sauce to highlight the main event, the noodles!

Adding vinegar gives the dish a subtle tang, and if you’re looking for something more adventurous, try adding some chili oil to spice things up! The sauce is easy to make ahead of time, in fact I’d recommend it! I often make a big batch ahead of time, then quickly make pasta during the week. Not only does it speed up weeknight dinners, but the sauce tastes so much richer!

Feel free to try the sauce with any of your favorite noodles. While I love the thickness of fettuccine, it also pairs excellent with chewy udon.

Recipe – Fettuccine With Miso Meat Sauce:

– First, prepare the sauce to give the flavors time to fully develop. Mix the dashi, sake, mirin, miso, vinegar in a large bowl. Stir until the miso had dissolved, then set aside.

– Place a wide skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it into smaller pieces with the spatula.

– Drain most of the fat from the pan, then add the sesame oil, grated ginger and garlic to the pan, cooking for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

– Pour the miso mixture into the skillet and let simmer for 5 minutes, until the alcohol has cooked off. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to let the flavors combine.

– Next, prepare the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to boiling on the stove. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.

– Drain the pasta then immediately transfer back to the pan. Add the sauce back to the pan, then cook for another 5 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

– Transfer to plates, then top with sliced green onion to serve.