Mentaiko Spaghetti

Name: Mentaiko Spaghetti
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 120 g mentaiko fish roe; 8 oz spaghetti; 3 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 tbsp heavy cream; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 8 leaves shiso; 1 large nori sheet; salt to taste

30m

You think you've had spaghetti? Not like this! It has everything you would expect —fat, salty elements— but it also has a slightly spiced fish roe, mentaiko, which adds another layer of flavor and complexity to the dish. If you can't find mentaiko, substitute with any cured and soft roe.

Old school dish served in Japanese-style cafes, also known as kissaten.

Bring water to a boil in a large pot over high heat
Thinly slice 1 large nori sheet
Thinly slice 8 shiso leaves
Make a slit in the mentaiko roe sack and scrape out the roe. Reserve 120 g
Add salt to taste to the boiling water
Cook 227 g of spaghetti until cooked through but still slightly firm. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water for later use
Strain the spaghetti
Transfer the spaghetti to a large bowl and add 3 tbsp of unsalted butter. Mix to combine and melt the butter
Add 2 tbsp of heavy cream and 1 tbsp of soy sauce. Add salt to taste and mix to combine
Add the mentaiko roe and mix to incorporate
Add a splash of the spaghetti cooking water and mix to combine. Add more, if needed, to make the sauce creamy
Plate the spaghetti
Garnish with the nori and the shiso. The mentaiko spaghetti is ready
Don't wait too long, as you don't want the roe to cook. Enjoy!