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Fish, Italy

Spaghetti with bottarga and lemon

Spaghetti with bottarga and lemon is an Italian pasta dish for 4 people, ready in 20 minutes, very easy to make, for about €3.60 per person. The secret is a garlic oil barely golden and bottarga grated at the very last moment so it keeps its full briny flavor.

Tonight, it's Southern Italy on a plate, spaghetti tossed in olive oil and lemon, topped with grated bottarga.

Spaghetti with bottarga and lemon
Total time
20 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€3.60
Calories per person
540 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Spring, Fall

This is a pasta dish from Southern Italy, simple in technique but bold in flavor. Bottarga, a pouch of salted and dried mullet roe, brings a concentrated, briny taste that gentle garlic and chili oil help soften. Lemon zest and fresh parsley add the brightness that balances the whole plate.

It's the kind of dinner you make on a weeknight when you want something a little special without spending hours in the kitchen, or to serve a few friends around a pasta dish that stands out from the usual. Mon Chou suggests it as a quick trip to Italy, as long as you pick good bottarga.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Spaghettioften in the pantry 360 g
  • Bottarga 60 g
  • Dried chilioften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 6 tbsp
  • Coarse saltoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Untreated lemon 2
  • Flat leaf parsley 4 sprigs

Allergens Gluten, Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti.

    Use 10 g of salt per liter of water, the bottarga is already salty and won't fix an underseasoned pot.

  2. Heat the oil over low heat with the sliced garlic and chili, without letting it color. 3 min

    The garlic should just turn golden, browned garlic gives a bitter taste that masks the bottarga.

  3. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, then drain, keeping a ladle of cooking water. 9 min

    Pull them out a minute before the package time, they'll finish cooking in the pan.

  4. Add the pasta to the flavored oil, then toss in the lemon zest, chopped parsley, and a little cooking water, and mix vigorously. 2 min

    A spoonful of lemon juice stirred in at the end brings the brightness that lightens the dish.

  5. Plate the pasta and generously grate the bottarga on top.

    If you can't find bottarga, smoked cod roe or a few anchovies melted into the oil give a similar taste.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a bottarga that feels dry and firm, it grates more easily and releases more flavor than a soft one.
  • Always save a bit of pasta cooking water, its starch binds the oil into a sauce and keeps the dish from turning dry.
  • Serve right after grating the bottarga, it loses its aroma within minutes once exposed to warm air.

The variations

  • Swap the bottarga for smoked cod roe or a few anchovies melted into the oil for a similar briny taste that's easier to find.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the bottarga and add chopped capers with a little oil toasted breadcrumbs for crunch.
  • To save time, make the flavored oil while the water heats up, so everything is ready at the same time as the pasta.

What to serve it with

  • An arugula salad with lemon
  • A glass of dry white wine
  • Crisp vegetables in olive oil

Storage

This dish is best eaten right away, bottarga loses its aroma as it cools. If needed, keep the pasta without the bottarga in a sealed container in the fridge for 1 day, and grate fresh bottarga just before serving. Freezing isn't recommended, it would ruin the texture of the pasta and the flavor of the bottarga.

Questions about this dish

What exactly is bottarga?

It's a pouch of mullet roe that's salted, dried, and pressed. You can find it whole or already in a block at fish markets and specialty grocers, and you grate it like a hard cheese.

Can you prepare this dish ahead of time?

You can make the garlic and chili oil a few hours ahead. Cook the pasta and grate the bottarga just before serving, though, to keep the dish's freshness.

Can you substitute the bottarga if you can't find it?

Yes, smoked cod roe or a few anchovy fillets melted into the oil give a similar briny flavor. The result is slightly different but still tasty.

Is this dish good for kids?

Bottarga's strong, salty flavor isn't always a hit with younger kids. You can serve them a plain pasta portion with oil and lemon before adding bottarga to the rest of the dish.

How long does it take to make spaghetti with bottarga and lemon?

Count 20 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in spaghetti with bottarga and lemon?

About 540 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does spaghetti with bottarga and lemon cost?

About €3.60 per serving, or €14.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, fish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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