Spaghetti alla Bottarga

Makes

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

½ oz (15 g) bottarga, grated (3 Tbsp), or sliced + more to garnish
3 Tbsp (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil (high quality)
1 clove of (1 clove of) garlic, chopped or finely sliced
1 scant pinch of (1 scant pinch of) peperoncino (less than ⅛ tsp powdered or crushed red pepper)
3 to 4 (3oz) (85 g) cherry tomatoes (optional), quartered or chopped
8 oz (225 g) pasta (long dried pasta such as spaghetti, spaghettini or linguine; or fresh tagliolini or tagliatelle)
a pinch of (a pinch of) parsley (optional), minced

KEY: pinch (⅛ tsp) | tsp = teaspoon (5ml) | Tbsp = Tablespoon (15ml)

Bring a large covered pot of salted water to boil.
Meanwhile, finely grate the bottarga into a large heatproof bowl, and toss with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil. Stir 1 Tbsp of the hot pasta water into the bottarga mixture, and set aside.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, tender yet still firm to the bite.
Meanwhile, in a sauce pan or small skillet, sauté the garlic, and peperoncino if using, with 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat until the garlic just starts to color. Careful not to let it brown. Remove from heat and add to the bowl with the bottarga. Stir in the tomatoes, if using.
When the pasta is ready, reserve around ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and toss with the bottarga. If it seems a little dry to you, add more of the starchy hot pasta water a spoon at a time, and toss until the sauce coats the pasta well. Sprinkle with a touch of parsley.
To serve, garnish each plate of pasta with more grated bottarga, plus a few thin slices, if you like. Serve more bottarga to be grated at the table. For more garnishing ideas, see notes. Enjoy immediately while hot. Buon Appetito.

Bottarga
- If using whole bottarga, remove the thin protective natural casing just from the area you want to grate or slice.
- If the grated bottarga lumps up on you, add a tablespoon of hot pasta water and mix well until melted.
Garlic - You can substitute leeks, scallions or onions in place of garlic, or omit alliums altogether.
Variations
- Fresh Mint Garnish - an excellent pairing with bottarga. Garnish each plate with a few hand-ripped leaves of fresh mint, or a mint/parsley mix.
- Lemon - as a variation, just to garnish, or both.
  - Variation - Stir 1 Tbsp of lemon juice per person in with the bottarga and olive oil in Step 2.
  - Garnish - Garnish with grated lemon zest and/or add a lemon wedge to each plate of pasta. Or serve a bowlful of lemons or wedges to zest or squeeze at the table.
- Sage - as a variation, just to garnish, or both.
  - Variation - Omit all sauce ingredients except the bottarga and extra virgin olive oil. Warm a few fresh sage leaves in 1 Tbsp butter (or olive oil) for a minute and take off the heat. Toss with the pasta and bottarga in Step 4. Top with crushed black pepper and grated bottarga. Garnish with a sprig of sage. (See also sage garnish.)
  - Garnish - Toss some sage leaves in just enough olive oil (or butter) to coat, and fry over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel, dust with a pinch of salt, and set aside. Sprinkle over your pasta as a finishing touch before serving.
- Purist Variations
  - Bottarga and Olive Oil - This is the traditional Sardinian way to eat pasta with bottarga. Omit Step 4 and all sauce ingredients except for the bottarga and extra virgin olive oil.
  - Bottarga Butter - Omit step 4 and all sauce ingredients except the bottarga. Make bottarga butter either by simply mixing room temperature butter with grated bottarga, or by blending butter with thin slices of bottarga in a food processor. When the pasta is ready, toss with the bottarga butter and garnish as usual.

Nutrition Information

Please keep in mind that nutritional info is an estimate and varies according to ingredients used.