Mentaiko pasta was invented by the chef of Kabe-no-Ana (Hole in the Wall), a restaurant in my old neighborhood of Shibuya in Tokyo that has been in existence since the 1950s. I used to hang out there with my girlfriends. It’s an affordable, unpretentious place that serves an amazing array of wafu pastas. I like mentaiko spaghetti because the only cooking you do is the pasta. You just toss the hot pasta in the bowl of roe, butter, and olive oil, and that’s it.
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
3–4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cook 14 oz. (400 g) spaghetti to al dente following package instructions. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
Step 2
While the pasta is cooking, rub a large bowl with 1 large garlic clove, halved. Use the garlic for another dish.
Step 3
Puncture the skin of 3½ oz. (100 g) mentaiko (cured Alaskan pollack; about 4 pieces) and scrape out the roe into a large bowl. Discard the skin. Save 1 Tbsp. roe in a small bowl for garnish, if you like.
Step 4
Add 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, 1 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and 1 tsp. lemon zest, and whisk to combine.
Step 5
Add the cooked pasta to the mentaiko mixture and toss to combine. If the pasta looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of the pasta water and continue tossing until the broth emulsifies.
Step 6
Distribute the mentaiko pasta between four plates. Garnish with 8 fresh shiso leaves, thinly sliced, and ½ sheet dried nori seaweed, cut into thin strips, and nori. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if you like.
