Alison Roman's caramelized shallot pasta recipe is made vegetarian/vegan using miso in place of anchovies, and loaded with robust umami flavor. It's an easy, versatile, and healthy pasta recipe that comes together in 30 minutes!
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Many of you will be familiar with Alison Roman’s shallot pasta recipe that went viral a few years ago. It contains a simple shallot pasta sauce that packs a flavorful punch.
In my version, we substitute miso for the anchovies, making it vegan/vegetarian, and also add dark leafy greens for more nutrition.
The result is a creamy pasta dish with jammy, sweet, and tender shallots with layers of deep flavor.
All you need is 30 minutes to make this velvety caramelized shallot pasta for dinner tonight - serve it with sourdough discard focaccia for a hearty meal. For more vegetarian pasta recipes, try my pasta primavera, spinach mushroom pasta, and vegetarian one pot pasta!
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⭐️ Why This Shallot Pasta is the Best
- Versatile pasta recipe, with options to add extra vegetables or your favorite protein for a heartier meal.
- Rich, creamy, and deeply savory dairy-free pasta with shallots
- Quick & easy pasta recipe using simple ingredients and takes just 30 minutes.
- Healthy vegan/vegetarian pasta recipe that's packed with nutrients from Swiss chard, shallots, and miso paste.
- Because you only use half of the pasta sauce, you can freeze the other half for the next time you need dinner for a busy weeknight. And then all you have to do is boil pasta!
🍅 Ingredient Notes
- Shallots - Milder and smaller than an onion, this slightly sweet ingredient is part of the Amaryllidaceae family, which also includes garlic and leeks.
- Swiss chard - A bitter leafy green that balances out the natural sweetness provided by the shallots and tomato paste.
- Miso paste - Adds deep umami flavor
- Tomato paste - Provides a sweet and concentrated tomato flavor.
- Pasta - Bucatini pasta works great in this recipe because it is tubular and catches bits of the sauce. But spaghetti noodles would also work great, as would rotini.
- Fresh parsley - Adds fresh, herby aromatics
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Greens. Any bitter leafy green (kale, mustard greens, spinach, etc.) will work in place of Swiss chard.
- Miso paste. Substitute with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or fish sauce.
- Ketchup. Use in place of tomato paste for a concentrated tomato flavor.
- Herbs. Use your favorite herb in place of, or in addition to, the fresh parsley. Rosemary and basil would both be delicious.
- Onion. You can substitute 1 yellow onion for the shallots here, but the flavor won't be quite as sweet.
🔪 How To Make Caramelized Shallot Pasta
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have become totally softened and caramelized with golden-brown fried edges, around 20 minutes. Add Swiss chard and garlic, and sauté for 5 more minutes.
Add red-pepper flakes and miso paste. Stir to combine, and cook about 2 minutes.
Add tomato paste and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste has started to cook in the oil a bit, deepening in color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer about half the mixture to a resealable container (I recommend placing this in the freezer after it has completely cooled).
To serve, cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water until very al dente. Transfer to skillet with remaining shallot mixture and one cup pasta water.
Cook over medium heat, using tongs to turn and coat pasta, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any bits on the bottom, until pasta is thick and sauce has reduced, 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve pasta garnished with parsley and flaky sea salt.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- When cooking the shallots, be sure to cook them low and slow. You don't want to fry the shallots necessarily, but rather braise them in a sense. So keep your heat low and be patient; you will end up with sweet and tender shallots that will melt in your mouth. (If you love caramelized shallots/onions, don't miss my french onion grilled cheese!)
- Adding the cup of pasta water to your shallot sauce helps to make it extra creamy, so don't skip this step.
- Add the coarse sea salt last. Because miso is salty, I prefer to add salt at the end of this recipe, if necessary.
- How to store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: To freeze half of the sauce, let it completely cool and then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
- How to serve: Serve your pasta with a light side salad, like apple cucumber salad or shaved fennel salad.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
They develop a jammy, sweet flavor while remaining savory and robust.
They are more nutrient dense than onions, so contain a higher amount of protein, fiber, and other nutrients.
The leftover shallot sauce can be drizzled over potatoes, chicken, fish, vegetables, or mixed into your favorite shape of (cooked) pasta.
🍝 More Vegetarian Pasta Recipes
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Alison Roman's Caramelized Shallot Pasta Recipe (without anchovies)
Equipment
- large skillet
- large saucepan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 6 large shallots, very thinly sliced
- 1 bunch Swiss chard (or your favorite greens), stems finely chopped and leaves thinly sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- ¼ cup miso paste
- 1 (6-ounce can) tomato paste (about ½ to ¾ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 12 ounces pasta
- 1 cup fresh parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
- coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have become totally softened and caramelized with golden-brown fried edges, around 20 minutes. Add Swiss chard and garlic, and sauté for 5 more minutes.
- Add red-pepper flakes and miso paste. Stir to combine, and cook about 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste has started to cook in the oil a bit, deepening in color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer about half the mixture to a resealable container (I recommend placing this in the freezer after it has completely cooled).
- To serve, cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water until very al dente. Transfer to skillet with remaining shallot mixture and 1 cup pasta water.
- Cook over medium heat, using tongs to turn and coat pasta, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any bits on the bottom, until pasta is thick and sauce has reduced, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve pasta garnished with parsley and flaky sea salt.
Notes
-
- When cooking the shallots, be sure to cook them low and slow. You don't want to fry the shallots necessarily, but rather braise them in a sense. So keep your heat low and be patient; you will end up with sweet and tender shallots that will melt in your mouth.
-
- Adding the cup of pasta water to your shallot sauce helps to make it extra creamy, so don't skip this step.
-
- Coarse sea salt is to be added at the end of the dish, to your taste preference. Because miso/soy sauce, etc. is very salty, I prefer to add salt at the end of making this recipe, if necessary.
-
- How to store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
-
- How to freeze: To freeze half of the shallot pasta sauce, let it completely cool and then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
Barb
This looks very easy I will give it a try!
Gastronotherapy
It's so easy, not to mention tasty and healthy!
Veronica
I love how easy (and yummy) this was...next time I am going to try it with frozen spinach. Thanks for another delicious recipe, mary anne!
MaryAnne
So happy you enjoyed it, Veronica! Frozen spinach would be delicious as well - any bitter green would work just great!
Renee
I was so happy to stumble upon this recipe without anchovies, and was not disappointed!! The miso adds really interesting flavor and complements the shallots really well. Who knew shallot pasta would be this delicious? I guess you did!! Brava!
MaryAnne
Thanks so much, Renee! I also love the deep flavor from the miso sauce! 🙂