Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 340 g ziti pasta, dry
Produce and Umami Base
- 30 ml olive oil
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 2 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced into half-moons
- 250 g cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 45 g white miso paste
Sauce and Finish
- 15 ml sherry vinegar
- 10 ml red wine vinegar
- 120 ml heavy cream
- 50 g vegetarian parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 661 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbohydrates
- 80 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 597 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 59 mg
- Potassium
- 642 mg
- Calcium
- 241 mg
- Iron
- 5.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 79 mg
- Phosphorus
- 381 mg
- Zinc
- 2.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 243 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 34 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.88 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.79 mg
- Niacin
- 8.9 mg
- Folate
- 254 mcg
- Water
- 138 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a vigorous boil. Add the ziti and cook according to package directions until al dente, usually 9 to 11 minutes. Reserve at least 120ml of starchy pasta water before draining the ziti.
While the pasta boils, heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams. Add the sliced leeks and mushrooms. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes to develop a sear, then stir occasionally until deeply browned and softened, about 8 to 10 minutes total.
Reduce the heat to medium. Stir the minced garlic and white miso paste into the vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and the miso lightly toasts and coats the mixture evenly, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour the sherry vinegar and red wine vinegar into the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let the liquid bubble and reduce until almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute.
Lower the heat to low. Pour in the heavy cream and half of the grated vegetarian parmesan cheese. Simmer gently until the sauce slightly thickens and bubbles, about 2 minutes.
Add the drained ziti to the skillet. Toss continuously while gradually streaming in 60ml of the reserved pasta water. Continue tossing until a glossy, emulsified sauce tightly hugs the noodles. Add more pasta water if the sauce appears too thick.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Top with the remaining vegetarian parmesan cheese and generous cracks of black pepper. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- To clean leeks thoroughly, slice them as directed, then drop the slices into a large bowl of cold water. Swish them vigorously so the dirt sinks to the bottom, then lift the leeks out with a slotted spoon or spider.
- Do not salt the mushrooms too early in the cooking process. Letting them sear in the fat undisturbed allows them to brown deeply before they release their moisture.
- White miso paste adds an exceptional savory depth without making the dish taste distinctly Asian. When combined with the traditional Italian parmesan and cream, it acts as an invisible umami amplifier.
- To maintain strict vegetarian compliance, seek out parmesan-style hard cheeses made with microbial or plant-based rennet rather than traditional animal rennet.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, adding a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce and prevent separation.
Troubleshooting
Cream sauce breaks or looks greasy
Cause: The cream boiled too vigorously, or the heat was too high when the cheese was added.
Fix: Remove from heat, add a small splash of cold cream or warm pasta water, and stir vigorously to bring the emulsion back together.
Prevention: Keep the heat low when introducing heavy cream and cheese, and do not let it reach a rapid boil.
Sauce is too thick and clumpy
Cause: Too much cheese added at once, or the pasta absorbed the liquid without enough reserve water.
Fix: Add reserved pasta water 15ml at a time, tossing over low heat until the sauce reaches a silky consistency.
Prevention: Reserve ample pasta water before draining the noodles.
Leeks are gritty
Cause: Dirt trapped between the layers of the leek was not washed out.
Fix: Cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Slice leeks first, then submerge them in a bowl of cold water, agitate, and scoop them out so dirt settles at the bottom.
Cultural Context
This recipe exemplifies modern fusion cuisine by taking a foundational Western technique pan sauce bound with cream and pasta water and fortifying it with Japanese white miso. The combination of miso and aged cheese creates a synergistic blast of glutamates, achieving a depth of flavor that traditionally takes hours of simmering to develop.
