Muggine bottarga, often known as cured mullet roe, is a historic Sardinian specialty. This dessert has been a favorite of mine for so long that I had to share it with you. By including bottarga, an Italian classic pasta dish becomes a specialty. Enjoy!
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 30 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
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.