Silky Mentaiko Pasta: A Simple and Delicious Recipe
Silky Mentaiko Pasta: A Simple and Delicious Recipe
Flavorful Mentaiko Pasta for a Quick Meal
Utilize your frozen low-salt mentaiko (spicy cod roe) to create a delightful pasta dish right at home. The delightful pop of mentaiko and its rich umami flavor will bring joy to your palate.
Ingredients- 4-5 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3-4 whole dried red chilies (peperoncino), adjust to spice preference
- 1 serving Spaghetti
- 1/2 white part of a large green onion (scallion), finely chopped or cut into larger pieces
- 4-5 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 handful Spinach, washed clean
- 1-2 Low-salt Mentaiko (spicy cod roe), thawed
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Gently thaw the frozen low-salt mentaiko by placing it in cold water or at room temperature. Once thawed, make a small incision along the roe’s membrane with the tip of a knife and carefully peel away the casing to extract the clean roe inside. You can mash it lightly or leave it whole.
Step 2
Bring a generous pot of water to a boil and add about a teaspoon of salt. Cook the spaghetti until it’s about 1 minute less done than the package instructions suggest (al dente). Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. This water will be used later to adjust the sauce’s consistency.
Step 3
In a large pan, heat a good amount of olive oil over low heat. Add the chopped white part of the green onion and the thinly sliced garlic. Gently sauté until the flavors of the onion and garlic infuse into the oil. Cooking slowly over low heat is key to developing a rich aroma.
Step 4
Once the onion and garlic are lightly golden, add the extracted mentaiko roe to the pan. Use chopsticks or a fork to gently break up the roe as it cooks over medium-low heat. Be careful not to burn the mentaiko. Since mentaiko is already salty, taste the sauce and add only a tiny pinch of salt if needed.
Step 5
Add the whole dried red chilies for a touch of heat and sauté briefly. Then, add the washed spinach and cook just until it wilts. Finally, add the cooked spaghetti and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together quickly until well combined. Your delicious mentaiko pasta is ready to enjoy!
