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Mentaiko pasta
明太子パスタ: spaghetti coated in butter and chilli-cured pollock roe, topped with nori
Mentaiko, pollock roe cured with salt and chilli, is the food gift everyone brings back from Hakata in Fukuoka, where shops near the station sell it in rows of red sacs. The pasta came from the Japanese-style spaghetti cafés of Tokyo in the 1960s and is now on menus right across Japan, Fukuoka included. The roe is not really cooked: the heat of the drained spaghetti and the melting butter turn it into a pink, salty-spicy coating. Mentaiko is a raw cured product. Use very fresh, sushi-grade fish from a trusted fishmonger; not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. For mentaiko, that means a chilled, sealed pack well within its date. Chef's tip: save a ladle of the pasta water; a spoonful loosens the roe so it clings to every strand instead of clumping.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the pasta
To serve
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring a large pan of water to the boil with 1 tbsp salt.
8 minStep 2: Slit the membrane of each 2 ⅞ oz mentaiko (spicy cured pollock roe) sac lengthways with a small knife and scrape out the roe with the back of the knife. Discard the skin.
2 minStep 3: In a large serving bowl, mash the roe with 1 oz unsalted butter, 2 tbsp single cream or milk, ½ tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp lemon juice until evenly pink.
2 minStep 4: Cook 7 oz spaghetti until just al dente, following the pack. Save a ladle of the cooking water, then drain.
10 minStep 5: Tip the hot spaghetti straight into the bowl and toss quickly with tongs, adding a spoonful or two of pasta water, until every strand is coated in a creamy pink sauce. Common mistake: tossing the roe in a pan over the heat; it turns pale, grainy and dry, so mix it off the heat in the bowl. If you are cooking for anyone in the groups above, toss it in a pan over low heat instead until the roe turns opaque and pale pink all through, about 2 minutes.
1 minStep 6: Serve at once, topped with 1 sheet nori and 4 shiso leaves or spring onions.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- Protein
- 23 g
- Carbs
- 84 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mentaiko pasta take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of spaghetti?
- Linguine or any long pasta, same amount.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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