A new cookbook landed upon my desk recently, and I couldn’t put it down. “That Noodle Life” has so many great recipes, stories and ideas. And did I mention there are photos for every recipe?

If you are a noodle lover, this is the book for you. There are low-stress weeknight recipes, date night recipes and soup noodles to soothe your soul. Think dishes like French Onion Mac and Cheese, Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup or Cacio e Pepe Lobster Chitrra.

There are lots of tips, such as how to upgrade instant noodles, plus insights into noodle etiquette and making noodles from scratch. The book is a true multi-cultural compendium of all things noodle.

The authors share that, in Japan, if you’re lucky and it’s the right season, your miso soup will come with tiny clams. The brininess of the clam’s pairs perfectly with the sweet umami of miso, something they recreated here with this miso clam linguine.

Steaming fresh clams with garlic, miso, and wine means that when the clams release their juice, everything combines into a quick clam broth that is perfect for tossing with pasta. It’s such a natural idea to pair these flavors, and the results speak for themselves. I like to serve sake, beer, or well-chilled sauvignon blanc with this pasta dish.

Noodles with Miso Garlic Clam Sauce

Serves 4

Salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

8 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

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