Mentaiko Pasta

Name: Mentaiko Pasta
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 8 oz dried spaghetti; 2 sacs (about 3 oz) mentaiko (spicy pollock roe), membrane removed; 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened; 3 tbsp heavy cream and 1 tsp soy sauce; 1 sheet nori, cut into thin strips, and 1 sliced scallion for garnish

A quick wafu spaghetti tossed in a creamy, briny sauce of spicy pollock roe, butter, and a touch of cream, finished with nori.

20 minutes

Serves 2

Lunch/Dinner

Contains common allergens

Fish Dairy Seafood Soy Wheat

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Instructions

5 steps

1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining.

2
While the pasta cooks, slit the mentaiko sacs lengthwise and scrape the roe into a large bowl, discarding the thin membranes.
3
Add the softened butter, heavy cream, and soy sauce to the roe and mash together with a fork into a smooth, pale-pink paste.
4
Add the hot drained spaghetti directly to the bowl and toss quickly off the heat so the residual warmth thickens the sauce without scrambling the roe, loosening with a splash of reserved pasta water if needed.
5
Divide between two plates and top with the nori strips and sliced scallion, serving immediately while warm.

Unlock the full recipe

Get every step for Mentaiko Pasta — plus exact amounts and 2,000+ more recipes — with Listahan Pro.

Unlock in app Get Listahan free

30-day free trial · cancel anytime

Plan it in Listahan

Add Mentaiko Pasta to your week, check it against your household's allergens, and build the shopping list automatically.

Open in app iOS (Beta) Android (Beta)

More Japanese recipes

Japanese

Nigiri Sushi

Hand-pressed vinegared rice topped with fresh raw fish.

45 min Serves 3

Fish Seafood Soy +1

Japanese

Maki Sushi (Rolls)

Vinegared rice and fillings wrapped in seaweed.

40 min Serves 1

Fish Seafood

Japanese

Sashimi

Thinly sliced, high-quality raw fish served without rice.

15 min Serves 3

Fish Seafood Soy +1

Browse all Japanese recipes