Mentaiko Pasta
First posted in 2011, updated in Mar 2015.
Mentaiko is marinated pollock roe and a popular ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Using it to make mentaiko pasta (明太子パスタ) is my favourite way to enjoy this ingredient. This Italian-Japanese pasta is usually quite expensive on the menu, but easily less than half the price and more than double the roe, to make at home.
See Also:
- Ingredient Spotlight: Mentaiko
- Hotate Mentaiyaki (Baked Scallops with Mentaiko) Recipe
- Japanese Recipes
As gourmet as this pasta may sound and look, it is actual the simplest pasta recipe out there! The sauce does not require stove-top cooking and took me 5 minutes. The only real cooking I did was to cook the pasta (spaghetti).
To make the 5-minute sauce, I basically melted butter in the microwave, then whisked in the other ingredients in a small bowl.
There are two main types of spicy ‘karashi’ mentaiko (辛子明太子) you can find at the local Japanese supermarkets. The colourless type will result in a colourless pasta with visible bits of roe in it. On the other hand, the coloured type (featured in this recipe; pictured above), will result in a slight salmon pink pasta sauce. Click here to read more information about mentaiko.
Mentaiko Pasta
Using colorless mentaiko will result in a pale pasta while using the coloured type will result in a pale salmon pink sauce. Be sure to buy the right type of mentaiko accordingly to your preference.
Ingredients:
- 60 grams (or one small sac) spicy ‘karashi’ mentaiko sac (辛子明太子)
- 1 serving (about 70 grams) spaghetti (or any favourite pasta)
- sea salt to taste
(A) Mentaiko Sauce
- 30 grams butter cubed and melted in the microwave
- 1/4 tsp Japanese shoyu (light soy sauce) to taste
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 2 tsp sake may subsitute with mirin
Topping Suggestion
- 1 tsp mentaiko see step 1
- shredded nori (roasted seaweed)
- finely shredded baby shiso or finely chopped spring onions
Directions:
- Make a slit on the mentaiko sac and scrap out the roe with a spoon. Discard the membrane. Set aside 1 tsp of roe for garnishing.
- In a small bowl, add the fish roe along with (A). Whisk to combine everything together.
- Cook pasta in salted water until al dente (firm with a bite; usually shaving 2 minutes off recommended cooking time for spaghetti). Drain pasta and reserve a small cup of pasta water.
- Add the mentaiko sauce to the drained pasta while it is still hot. Toss until even. If the pasta is too dry, add a bit of reserved pasta water to help bind the ingredients together. Season to taste with salt if needed.
- Dish the pasta to a serving plate. Garnish with mentaiko, shredded nori and shiso or spring onions.
Noob Cook Tip
If you prefer a richer taste, you can add 1 tablespoon of cream (to taste) to the mentaiko sauce.