Japanese-Italian Mentaiko Spaghetti
A beloved Japanese-Italian fusion dish: spaghetti tossed with mentaiko (spicy cured pollock roe), butter, and cream. It’s rich, briny, and absolutely addictive.
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225g) spaghetti
- 3 oz (85g) mentaiko (spicy pollock roe), membrane removed, roe scraped out
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Shredded nori (kizami nori) for topping
- Shiso leaves or scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
-
1
Cook spaghetti in well-salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water before draining.
-
2
In a bowl large enough to hold the pasta, combine the scraped mentaiko, butter (at room temperature), cream, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Mix well.
-
3
Add the hot drained pasta directly to the bowl. Toss vigorously, letting the residual heat gently warm the sauce (do NOT cook the mentaiko over direct heat or it will become grainy). Add pasta water a tablespoon at a time if it’s too thick.
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4
Divide between bowls. Top with shredded nori and shiso or scallions. Serve immediately.
