Posts Tagged: spaghetti mentaiko

Fusion / Italian / Japanese / Recipe — No Comments
2
Jun 10

My Attempt at Spaghetti Mentaiko (Spicy Cod Roe)

After trying a bunch of versions of spaghetti mentaiko, I decided to try making my own!  My cooking skills were put to the test.  I’m glad to say that I created something that actually tasted really good. In fact, I am bold enough to say that it is better than or at least comparable to the spaghetti mentaiko I have had in the city.

So what is the secret? Being that it is a pretty simple dish, it is about finding the perfect combination of your ingredients.

Serves 2 people

1/2 box of spaghetti
2 sacks of spicy cod roe (mentaiko)
1 Tablespoon of butter
1-1/2 Tablespoons of Japanese mayonnaise
1/4 sheet of Nori (dried seaweed), cut into thin strips

1. Start boiling water for your spaghetti in a pot, add salt to the water
2. In a bowl, cut the casings of each mentaiko and gently scrape / squeeze out the spicy roe
3. Add the mayonnaise to the spicy roe, mix thoroughly until mixture is a pale orange
4. Once the water is boiled, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente
5. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter until nicely coated
6. Incorporate the spicy roe mixture with the pasta
7. Top with strips of nori right before serving

Happy cooking! Let me know if you use this and enjoy the recipe!

dinner / Italian / Japanese / nyc — 5 Comments
23
Apr 10

Quest to Finding Manhattan’s Best Spicy Roe Pasta


Spicy roe spaghetti, also known as Spaghetti Mentaiko, is a popular and easy-to-make Japanese dish typically comprised of spicy roe, butter, Japanese mayonnaise, spaghetti, and nori for garnish. Many Japanese restaurants serve this inexpensive pasta so it became a mission for me to find the best spicy roe pasta in Manhattan. I decided to pick three places – Basta Pasta, Riki, and Tomi. In my mind the two important characteristics of this dish were the noodles and the spicy roe sauce.

First Round: Basta Pasta

They call it Spaghetti con Uova di Pesce ($15), topped with shiso. The spaghetti was cooked very well; it was al dente which provided a great chewy texture to the entire dish. However, I felt that the sauce itself was not as creamy or flavorful as I would have liked in a Spaghetti Mentaiko dish. The fish roe seemed to be similar to those on your sushi rolls, and doesn’t flavor the pasta as much as it needs.

Second Round: Riki

As an unassuming item within a large assortment of foods on the menu, their version of the Spaghetti with Spicy Cod Roe ($8.50) had a good mix of cream to roe ratio. The roe seemed to have absorbed some cream to give it a fatty, rich flavor. However the noodles were a different story. I wouldn’t call what they used spaghetti by any means, but more like Chinese oil noodles. In any case, Riki’s version is something I am willing to return for, but probably not my first choice.

Third Round: Tomi

Last, but not the least, is Tomi’s version of Spaghetti Mentaiko (price unknown). From what I heard, Tomi has the best spicy roe pasta but I wanted to see and experience that for myself. This unassuming Japanese whiskey bar does serve food, this dish being one of their selections. It is surprising how good food can come out of bars; oftentimes, the most secluded ones are the hidden gems. In this case, that proves to be true. Their spaghetti was actually spaghetti – though not as al dente as Basta Pasta’s – but is comparable. Then the spicy roe sauce was very enjoyable. It had a good amount of that unami flavor in combination with the thick texture and richness of the cream. My final rating is 8.5 / 10.0. I definitely intend on going back again to eat this, and have some quality whiskey on the side.

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Addresses:
Basta Pasta
37 West 17th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 366-0888

Riki
141 East 45th Street
New York, NY 10017
(212) 986-1109‎

Tomi NY
239 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
(646) 497-1254‎