Recipe Overview
This spaghetti expresses the elegance of tuna bottarga through simplicity and precision. Garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, white wine, lemon zest and parsley create a clean structure around the pasta, while toasted breadcrumbs add contrast and Parmigiano Reggiano gives a rounded finish. The final pasta should be glossy, fluid, savory and bright rather than heavy.
Discover the Ancient Tradition of Bottarga
Bottarga — cured fish roe traditionally associated with Mediterranean coastal cooking — concentrates the flavor of the sea through salting, pressing and controlled drying. In this recipe, tuna bottarga becomes the defining savory ingredient rather than a heavy sauce.
Chef Notes
Bottarga brings concentrated salinity and umami, so season carefully. Keep the garlic blond, not browned; use pasta water to build a fluid emulsion; and fold the lemon-bottarga butter and Parmigiano in off the heat so the sauce remains glossy.
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Ingredients
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Spaghetti — 450 g
spaghetti · formal Master Registry code pending
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Tuna Bottarga — 115 g — finely chopped
tuna_bottarga · formal Master Registry code pending
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Extra Virgin Olive Oil — 60 ml
OIL-0001
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Garlic — 5 g — thinly sliced
TC-VEG-GARLIC-001
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Dry White Wine — 120 ml
dry_white_wine · formal Master Registry code pending
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Anchovy Brine — 15 ml — optional
anchovy_brine · formal Master Registry code pending
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Unsalted Butter — 28 g
TC-DAIRY-BUTTER-001
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Panko Breadcrumbs — 55 g — toasted
BREADCRUMB-PANKO-JAPANESE
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Parmigiano Reggiano — 55 g — freshly grated
TC-DAIRY-PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO
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Fresh Lemon — 6 g zest — zest only; deduct through zest yield
FRUIT-CITRUS-LEMON-FRESH
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Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley — 8 g — finely chopped
HERB-PARSLEY-FLAT
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Sea Salt — to taste — season carefully; bottarga is salty
SPICE-SALT-0001
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Fresh Ground Black Pepper — to taste — freshly cracked
SPICE-PEPPERCORN-BLACK
Preparation
- Warm the extra-virgin olive oil over low heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook gently until fragrant without browning. Stir in the chopped tuna bottarga and parsley, then deglaze with the white wine and anchovy brine if using. Reduce slightly and remove from the heat.
- Blend the unsalted butter with a small pinch of bottarga and the lemon zest until smooth. Hold this lemon-bottarga butter for the final emulsion.
- Cook the spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Return the spaghetti to the warm bottarga base and toss vigorously, adding pasta water a little at a time until the sauce becomes silky and coats the pasta. Off the heat, fold in the lemon-bottarga butter and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Adjust seasoning carefully.
- Plate immediately. Finish with toasted panko breadcrumbs, extra lemon zest if desired, chopped parsley, and a restrained final touch of bottarga.
Service Suggestions
- Serve immediately as a refined first course or signature seafood pasta.
- Keep the sauce fluid and glossy; loosen with reserved pasta water just before plating if needed.
- Finish breadcrumbs at the last moment so they retain their crunch.
- Use bottarga as the defining savory accent rather than overwhelming the pasta.
Dietary / HACCP Notes
- Pescatarian; contains fish, milk and gluten/wheat.
- Bottarga, anchovy brine and Parmigiano are naturally salty; adjust added salt only after the final emulsion.
- Keep butter and grated cheese refrigerated until service mise en place.
- Cook and serve the pasta immediately; do not hold finished pasta for extended service.
Recipe Video
| Calories | 410 kcal |
| Protein | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 45 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
| Fiber | Not yet calculated |
| Cholesterol | Not yet calculated |
| Sodium | 320 mg |