Cod Roe Pasta

March 18, 2008 · 3 comments

Cod Roe Linguine

When it comes to pasta’s I like simplicity that highlights the quality of a few fresh ingredients. This recipe is about as simple as it gets and yet there’s something exotic about an Italian inspired Japanese dish (… or is it the other way around?) The creamy olive oil tames the spicy brininess of the cod row, while the shiso offers fresh relief from the intense essence of the sea.

If you’re not much of a seafood fan, this might be one you want to pass on, but if you love anchovies in your pasta, this should be right up your ally. You can get spicy cod roe at Japanese or Korean markets and the shiso and sushi grade squid should be available at most Japanese grocery stores. If you’re having trouble procuring the squid or the shiso, try buying some from your local sushi joint (shiso is that green leaf that often comes as a garnish for sashimi).

Cod Roe Pasta

2 Tbs spicy cod roe (also known as karashi mentai)
1 Tbs good quality olive oil
6 oz linguine or spaghetti cooked al dente
2 oz sashimi grade raw squid sliced into “noodles”
4 green shiso leaves cut into thin ribbons

Cod roe typically comes in membranes and looks like an oblong sausage. Squeeze the cod roe out of the membrane into a bowl and add the olive oil. Stir to combine.

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box and drain well. Add it to the cod roe mixture and toss until well combined. Add the squid and half the shiso and toss.

Serve the pasta and top with squid and reserved shiso.

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    • http://twitter.com/shethatisnau Jessica R-E

      This sounds like a delicious & cheap meal. I’m currently living in Japan and while I’d tried snacks that combined pasta with mentaiko I’ve been nervous about buying a fresh package and trying to do anything with it. Somewhere in the great expanses of the internet I’d read a comment of your’s saying to try ika no shiokara (which I HAVE braved buying and greatly enjoyed) over pasta with shiso leaf; That was a huge success for me as well as an easy meal. I fried the julienned shiso leaves with garlic in olive oil while the pasta cooked (spaghetti in this instance), then drained the noodles, tossed them with the fried goodies in the pan & dumped a heaping serving of ika no shiokara on top, mixing to combine. It made a super savory, oceanic sauce for the pasta with delicious little bites of ika interrupted by the fresh savory/earthy flavor of the sauteed shiso leaves & the pungent bite of garlic. I can see this dish working out similarly well, so I’m glad I found it! Thanks for all your culinary inspiration. This girl will not be starving while trying fun new ingredients in this fabulous foreign land. :)

      • http://norecipes.com Marc Matsumoto

        Hahaha, awesome! I vaguely remember leaving that comment somewhere! This pasta is even simpler. Lately I’ve been dropping in an egg yolk into the hot pasta to make it a little more creamy.

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