For those nights when you're short on time, this pasta with bottarga combining the best of Sicily and Sardinia comes together in just 15 minutes. The roe sac of grey mullet, bottarga has a briny and intense flavor that not only ups the umami factor of any dish to which it's added, but it also provides a pleasant, slightly crunchy textural contrast.
This simple recipe for pasta with bottarga by La Cucina Italiana's head chef Joëlle Néderlants is a perfect go-to for those nights when you're craving something delicious but just can't be bothered to spend too much time standing in front of the stove.
Spaghettini alla Bottarga
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri
Ingredients for 2
6 oz. spaghettini (170g)
4 Tbsp. white almonds (60 g)
3⅓ Tbsp. fresh mullet bottarga (50 g)
2 Tbsp. butter (30 g)
1 garlic clove
lemon
fennel seeds
wild fennel
salt
pepper
First 5 minutes:
Fill a saucepan with plenty of hot tap water and bring it to a boil.
In the meantime, blend combine the following ingredients and blend them into a creamy sauce: 3⅓ Tbsp. (50 g) almonds with 5 oz. (125 g) of water, the zest of ½ lemon and a splash of its juice, ½ tsp. fennel seeds, salt, and pepper.
Next 5 minutes:
When the water comes to a boil, add salt and then cook the spaghettini. While it’s cooking, chop the remaining almonds, cut the garlic into small pieces, and chop a sprig of wild fennel.
Last 5 minute:
Heat up the almond sauce in a pan with the butter and garlic clove. When the spaghettini is al dente, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the cooking water and add to the pan in which the almond sauce is cooking. Whisk together, adding a little chopped fennel and chopped almonds. Distribute the pasta in the dishes and complete with the remaining fennel, the grated bottarga, and some freshly ground black pepper.