This creamy Mentaiko Pasta is a dish that perfectly embodies the art of wafu pasta - a delightful fusion of Italian and Japanese cuisines. This dish combines the comforting familiarity of creamy pasta with the unique, umami-rich flavor of mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and the beauty of my recipe lies in its simplicity. It's quick enough for a weeknight dinner yet impressive enough to serve at a dinner party.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
- Traditional Italian pastas like Cacio e Pepe, Penne all'Arrabbiata, or even Bucatini all'Amatriciana come together in just minutes from a handful of ingredients. I applied a similar methodology to this easy Japanese pasta.
- Both mentaiko and Parmigiano Reggiano contain a high concentration of amino acids which gives this pasta a ton of umami.
- The residual heat from the boiled spaghetti is just enough to gently cook the mentaiko without curdling it.
What is Mentaiko
Mentaiko (明太子) literally means "child of mentai," and the word "mentai" is derived from the Korean myeongtae (명태) which is the Korean name for Alaska pollock, a type of cod. The confusing part here is that Alaska Pollock is not a member of the Pollachius (Pollock) genus, but rather Gadus (cod), so although it's sometimes labeled as "Pollack roe," mentaiko is actually Cod roe.
The roe is prepared by brining the whole roe sacks, and then seasoning it with powdered chilies. Prepared without the chilies, the brined roe is called Tarako (鱈子). While Mentaiko usually refers to the spicy variety, there are regions of Japan where both versions are called mentaiko, and the spicy one is called Karashi Mentaiko (辛子明太子). If in doubt, just look at the color. If it's bright red with visible chili flakes on the surface, it's probably the spicy kind, while a lighter pink or coral color is most likely the milder tarako. I make this tasty mentaiko bread spread with the spicy variety as well.
Ingredients
Pasta - The traditional pasta is spaghetti, but I think that has more to do with the fact that it was one of the only shapes of pasta around when the dish was created rather than being the best shape suited for the sauce. I love making this Creamy Mentaiko Pasta with other shapes that are good at holding onto the rich, savory sauce. Buccatini and Rotini are both great options, and I've even made this with Macaroni.
Flavor - Mentaiko is loaded with umami as well as salt, so the pasta gets most of its flavor from its namesake ingredient, but I like to take it up a notch by adding a bit of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. This really cranks up the umami, without making the sauce too salty. If you have some, adding just a bit of yuzu kosho adds a wonderful citrusy zing while taking the heat up a level.
Fat - Like any pasta, it's important to include some kind of fat in the sauce to help keep the noodles from sticking together. If I'm Mentaiko Pasta without cream, I'll sometimes use a combination of butter and olive oil, but because I've added cream to this version, I use olive oil as the main source of fat.
Liquid - To get the Mentaiko to coat the noodles evenly, it's important to have some kind of liquid. The traditional preparation of mentaiko spaghetti calls for cream as the liquid, which is why I've used it here, but you can make a lighter-style by using the boiling liquid from the pasta instead.
Garnish - For the garnish, I like topping this pasta with some thinly shredded nori and green shiso. The nori complements the briny flavor of the Mentaiko while the shiso adds a fresh herbal pop that accents the rich sauce.
How to Make Creamy Mentaiko Pasta
Like most pasta's the process is super simple. I like to start by boiling the pasta in well-salted water, and then I prepare the sauce while the pasta is going. For the sauce, it's just a matter of whisking all the ingredients together. There's not a lot of precision needed here, and you can adjust the amount of liquid, oil, and cheese to suit your tastes. Since the pasta does not get cooked together with the sauce, it's important to cook it through to your desired level of doneness. Once you've drained the pasta, it's just a matter of tossing it together with the sauce before plating and garnishing it.
Japanese Pasta, A Short History
Japan (as well as much of Asia) has a long history of eating noodles, but it wasn't until 1945 after the end of World War II, that America introduced spaghetti to Japan in large quantities. Given the food shortage at the time, and the interest in American culture, American-style spaghetti and meat sauce was quick to catch on, and it was soon a staple at western-style cafes around Japan.
In the mid 1960s a small pasta shop in Shibuya called Kabé No Ana (literally "hole in the wall") is credited with the invention of Mentaiko Pasta. As the story goes, an orchestra musician on tour in Europe brought back some caviar as a souvenir. Not knowing what to do with it, he brought it to the restaurant, asking them to prepare it for him. The pasta the chef made was so delicious, he wanted to add it to the menu. The problem was that caviar wasn't readily available in Japan at the time. Looking for a substitute, the chef turned to the cured roes available in Japan, Mentaiko fit the bill. Since then, other Japanese seafood like nori and uni have been used in a similar way to make wafu pasta dishes and there are always the classics like Spaghetti Napolitan and Butter Soy Sauce Pasta.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 90 grams karashi mentaiko (about 2 pieces)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup half and half (half cream, half milk)
- 9 grams Parmigiano Reggiano (grated)
- 200 grams dry spaghetti
- ¼ sheet nori (cut into thin strips with scissors, for garnish)
- 3 leaves green shiso (thinly sliced, for garnish)
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions in well-salted water (about 1 tablespoon salt per 5 cups of water).
- Whole mentaiko comes in the roe sacks which have a tough outer membrane. Pierce one end of it and then squeeze the roe out of membrane into the bowl, like you're squeezing toothpaste out of the tube.
- Add the olive oil, half and half, and Parmigiano Reggiano and then whisk to combine.
- Prepare the garnishes.
- When the pasta is done, drain it and then add it immediately to the bowl with the Mentaiko sauce. Toss to coat the pasta evenly.
- You can plate it using tongs and a small bowl or ladle and then garnish it with the nori and shiso.
William Tang says
Tastes so good, a simple and reliable recipe that allows you to get it right the first time
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks William, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this!
Alex Smith says
Great recipe! I've tried others and they're really salty, but the half and half balances out the saltiness of the mentaiko so it ends up really flavorful without being overly salty. Bonus that it comes together really quickly! I mopped up the extra sauce that was left behind in the mixing bowl with some bread and was in heaven! Thanks so much!
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Alex! Happy to hear you enjoyed this. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Kirstin Rogers says
I love this stuff! Never thought to add parm-reg. A good way to get your fish fatty acids. Thank you! BtW i get the roe at HMart a Korean grocer - its fesh in the case with all the little side dishes for BiBimBop etc. They also have frozen but the quantity is too much.
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks for dropping a comment and for your suggestion on where to get the mentaiko! I also have another version of this that uses butter instead of half and half and cheese. It's lighter and a more modern-style of mentaiko pasta we get here in Japan: https://norecipes.com/mentaiko-pasta/
Sofia says
Hi Marc,
Glad I found your website again. I've been making this for years and I always enjoy the food. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Simple but effective!
Marc says
Welcome back Sofia! Happy to hear you've been enjoying this. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Bev says
I would love to try this but not sure where to buy some ingredients.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Bev, for the mentaiko, try looking for a Japanese or Korean grocery store in your area. It's usually sold frozen, or in the refrigerated section with fish.
Karyn Hirsch says
Sounds great! A friend just told me about mentaiko and I think it's the next ingredient I will be experimenting with. Thank you for the thorough explanation and beautiful pictures.
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome Karyn! There are lots of ways to use it and I have several recipes on here including a tasty dip for bread, so I hope you enjoy it!
William Tang says
Great recipe! Works so well. My family loves it.
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks William! I'm glad to hear your family enjoyed it!
Oksana says
Marc... I made it... almost like you said (used wakame and combu, because didn't have nori) And for 200 gr spagetti used around 35 gr of Mentaiko. But is was amazing!!!! This is the best! The problem is that to buy Mentaiko in Spain is the price of gold:)))
Do you have a recipe how to make Mentaiko from scrach at home?
Regards
Oksana
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Oksana, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this! I don't have a recipe for making Mentaiko, but the basic process is to salt the cod roe until it's rock hard (this is to kill any parasites that may be in it). Then its soaked in water a few times to reduce the salt content. After that, it can be seasoned with a brine including dashi, sake, and chili powder.
oksana says
Thank you!
Monica says
Hi, this may be hard to find, but there’s a processed food packet from S&B with Cod Roe that you can add to cooked spaghetti to make instant Mentaiko. You can find it on Amazon.
Fiona Manoon says
I Love Chinese Food. And I loved your pasta recipe too.
Thanks for sharing this amazing post .
Would love to try this out .
Keep Blogging !!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Fiona, that's for stopping by! This is a Japanese recipe, but glad to hear you enjoy Chinese food too!
Oksana says
:)))))
Eileen says
Thanks for posting this recipe! We will try it soon,.
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome, I hope you enjoy it!