Published with permission from LuxuryWeb.com
This dish is a standout when prepared properly — elegant, briny, and bursting with umami. But the best part is how it comes together in just a few minutes.
I always buy bottarga — pressed and preserved fish roe — in a wax-covered piece and grate it fresh myself. Bottarga has a distinctive flavor, somewhat akin to salt-preserved anchovies but far more delicate and refined. Grey mullet bottarga offers a milder taste, while tuna bottarga is bolder and just as widely available. It’s a real treasure of the sea.
A classic pairing for bottarga is spaghetti or bucatini—perfect for any pasta dish featuring fish or seafood. But you could just as easily opt for bowties (farfalle) or perciatelli, depending on your preference.
Bottarga goes by many names around the world: “Boutargue” or “Poutargue” in France, “Karasumi” in Japan, “Avgotaraho” in Greece, and “Butarda” in Croatia. In certain parts of France, such as Provence, it’s also known as “Boutargo.” Across North Africa — Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria — it’s referred to as “Boutharkha” or “Bitarhika,” and in Egypt, it’s pronounced “Batarekh.”
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To serve, toss hot pasta with grated bottarga and the highest quality extra virgin olive oil you can find, mixing everything in a bowl until the pasta is coated and takes on a rich, golden-orange hue. Raw garlic is used to rub the inside of the bowl — it lends just a whisper of flavor.
I picked up this recipe while on a press trip in Sicily, after enjoying a lunch of bottarga, clams, and pasta at a traditional trattoria in Palermo.
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 1 lb. dry spaghetti
- 150 g bottarga (grey mullet preferred, though tuna works too)
- 1 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 oz. butter
- 1 lemon
- Cilantro (optional)
- 1 large garlic clove, halved
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and Malabar black pepper, to taste
Method:
Cook the spaghetti al dente in salted water. While the pasta cooks, rub the inside of a large salad bowl with the cut sides of the garlic clove, pressing firmly so the juices coat the surface. For a stronger garlic flavor, you can press the spent cloves and place the pulp at the bottom of the bowl.
Add a generous pour of olive oil and the grated bottarga to the bowl, followed by a splash of lemon juice. Mix until it forms a creamy, orange paste and spread it around the bottom and sides of the bowl. Set aside.
Once the spaghetti is ready, drain it — reserving some of the starchy cooking water — and toss the hot pasta into the bowl. Mix well. You can add more olive oil and bottarga if desired.
If the pasta seems dry, add a spoonful or two of the reserved pasta water. Remove the halved garlic clove if you haven’t pressed it into the dish.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly grated Malabar black pepper. Melt the butter and drizzle it over the pasta. Serve immediately, topped with a touch of chopped cilantro (optional) and a generous final sprinkle of grated bottarga.
Enjoy!
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