Description
Muggine bottarga (cured mullet roe) is an ancient traditional food from the island of Sardinia in Italy. I have enjoyed this treat for so many years I just had to share it with you. A classic pasta dish from Italy becomes a specialty by adding bottarga to it. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
- ΒΌ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red chile pepper, seeded and minced
- 2 ounces grated Sardinian mullet bottarga, divided
- 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- 1 small lemon, zested
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water
- stirring occasionally
- until tender yet firm to the bite
- about 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile
- heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat.
- Add garlic to the oil and cook until just warmed through
- 1 to 2 minutes. Add chile pepper and stir together
- reducing the temperature to medium-low. Continue stirring. The garlic should never become dark brown or crispy. If this has happened
- the garlic is burnt and no longer appropriate for consumption.
- Drain the pasta
- reserving at least 1 cup pasta water. Add the spaghetti to the oil mixture
- still on medium-low heat. Stir or toss until all the spaghetti is well coated. Add 3/4 of the bottarga and stir to mix with the spaghetti
- adding the reserved pasta water to hydrate as needed. There should be a little “sauce” when serving but not soupy.
- Divide onto 4 plates and sprinkle with chopped parsley and lemon zest; squeeze lemon juice over and sprinkle remaining bottarga on top right before serving.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Servings: 4