Bottarga Pasta

Author Notes

Bottarga is the name used for tuna fish eggs which are 'treated' in a special way that make it become a fairly hard block of brownish color 6 to 10 inches long which is grated with a metal grater (same type we use for grating parmesan) as seasoning for pasta. There are other types of bottarga (mullet for ex.) but tuna fish is the best and most expensive. You might find it already grated in small glass jars but I suggest buying only the one 'sous vide' in small blocks though it costs 200 US $ per kilo/2.2 pounds or even more. So, 1st of all peel the bottarga and discard the thin 'film' that keeps it compact. Then grate a generous portion of bottarga. (it's very tasty so grinding too much is not necessary). Pour abundant extra virgin olive oil (or just plain olive oil) in a pan and light the fire keeping it very low. Peel three cloves of garlic and put them in the oil. Be careful to keep the fire low and avoid burning the garlic; as the garlic takes a golden color, pour inside the grated bottarga. Remember to keep the fire as low as you can..it's not fried bottarga, just to season the oil! After three minutes turn the fire off and discard the garlic. Boil abundant water in a pan and when it boils pour inside 1 teaspoon of salt and 5 to 6 ounces of pasta (spaghetti or bucatini or linguine). Cook the pasta following instructions! While the pasta cooks, cut a bunch of washed parsley leaves with the knife or a veggie grater (just the leaves, no stems) and keep in there. When pasta is ready, turn fire off and pour some cold tap water in the pan (just a bit - the equivalent of a glass) and pour it in a colander. Pour the pasta in a wide bowl and pour over it the oil with the bottarga. Then on top, pour the grated parsley. (no parmesan please). Mix gently the pasta in the bowl and enjoy! This is a traditional recipe and may be found in millions of websites but there is no copyright. —Sergio Ianni