Spaghetti with bottarga recipe

Name: Spaghetti with bottarga recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 250g soft, ripe cherry tomatoes; 2 garlic cloves, peeled; large handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves; 2 dried red chillies, crumbled; freshly ground black pepper; 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 60g bottarga di muggine (grey mullet roe), from select delis; 350g good-quality dried spaghetti; sea salt

Neil Perry

March 3, 2017

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

You can add a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes to the pasta if you like it nice and hot. I also love mixing it with sautéd tuna cubes.

Ingredients

250g soft, ripe cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, peeled
large handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 dried red chillies, crumbled
freshly ground black pepper
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
60g bottarga di muggine (grey mullet roe), from select delis
350g good-quality dried spaghetti
sea salt

Method

Step 1
Break the cherry tomatoes into small pieces, squeezing out the seeds, and put into a bowl. Finely chop the garlic with the parsley and add to the tomatoes. Season with the chilli and pepper, pour in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and stir to combine. Set aside for 30 minutes to let the flavours develop.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, grate the bottarga using a microplane or the finest side of a cheese grater, reserving a little to grate over the finished dish.
Step 3
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti, and while the pasta is cooking, warm the tomatoes in a separate pan. When the spaghetti is al dente, drain it and return it to its saucepan, reserving a little of the cooking water.
Step 4
Add the bottarga and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss, making sure to coat each strand, then stir in the tomatoes. If the sauce is too thick, add a further drizzle of olive oil and a little of the reserved cooking water.
Step 5
Check for seasoning and serve with a little extra bottarga freshly grated over each plate.