When I've had a long day and am tired and hungry, I always reach for pasta. Buttered noodles are quick and easy - and entirely satisfying... but this ramen recipe is even better than plain buttered noodles.
I think every kid loves buttered noodles, and I was no different when I was young. But I thought now that I'm an adult, I should really work on creating an elevated buttered noodle recipe.
Still comforting, still super quick and easy to make - it only has three ingredient - it's the buttered noodles you remember as a kid but I, personally, feel like I'm adulting when I eat it.
And yes, as an adult, you have my permission to eat this right out of the pan! I usually do. No need to dirty a plate or bowl. (Although I did dump it into a bowl to take a photo for this post - because I'm not a complete heathen!)
Adding a spoonful of white miso to the browned butter adds that salty-sweet umami flavor that you find in many Asian dishes. Miso is fermented grains soybeans, and the white miso is less salty and a little milder than its red counterpart, so that's what I prefer to use in this recipe.
Just that one additional ingredient whisked into to your browned butter adds so much flavor, and ramen cooks so fast, you can have your dinner on the table in less than 10 minutes. So this has become my "new" go-to comfort food.
Because this recipe is so simple and has just 3 ingredients, it's really important to use top-quality ingredients. Be sure to use good-quality butter like Kerry Gold, Cabot Extra Creamy or Plugra.
All three of these brands have 82%+ butter fat, on par with the European butter brands. That extra fat is going to make your butter sauce that much richer and more delicious.
And because we're browning the butter, it's important to use a light-colored pan to heat the butter so you can see when the solids start to turn brown.
This is not the time to pull out your cast iron skillet! I use this 8-inch skillet to make my sauce.
I usually get the water boiling, then when I add the ramen noodles, I start the sauce. That way everything is done at pretty much the same time.
Scroll down for the printable recipe.)
Ramen with Browned Butter Miso Sauce
Makes 1 serving.
3 to 4 ounces of plain ramen noodles (I like this brand)
2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon white miso (I like this brand)
Heat a pot filled with water to a boil. Add your ramen and set your timer for 4 minutes. When the noodles are done, drain into a colander.
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and stir with a whisk or wooden spoon to melt. As the butter starts to foam, keep stirring.
After about 5 minutes of stirring constantly, the water will have evaporated out of the butter and the milk solids will have turned golden brown and sunk to the bottom. The butter will be a light golden color and smell nutty.
At this point, take the butter off the heat. It can burn quite quickly after this point. Whisk in the miso (it will foam and bubble, that's normal), then add the ramen to the skillet and toss to coat the noodles evenly in the sauce. (If your ramen isn't done yet, pour the butter into a bowl to prevent it from burning in the pan.)
Eat right from the pan, if you want. I do. One less dish to wash.
Note: since I'm using salted butter and the miso has salt in it, I don't add additional salt to this recipe, but you can season to taste if you would like. You could also add ground black pepper or red pepper flakes - if you want a little heat.
