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Authentic Mentaiko pasta with creamy and rich Meitako sauce. Easy Mentaiko pasta recipe to make at home that tastes like Japanese restaurants.
Mentaiko Pasta Recipe
Mentaiko pasta is a Japanese pasta recipe with spaghetti, spicy Mentaiko or pollock/cod roe, in a rich and creamy Mentaiko sauce.
It’s a delicious, flavorful pasta that you can make at home, much cheaper compared to eating out at restaurants.
This easy homemade recipe is tried and tested, and as good as restaurant’s version.
What Is Mentaiko?
Mentaiko is spicy pollock caviar or roe used in Japanese recipes. The roes are salted, spicy and have an intense umami flavors.
You can buy Mentaiko in Japanese stores. They are usually frozen in the freezer and comes in two forms: in sacs and without sacs.
I personally like the ones ready to use as you don’t have to extract the caviar or roes from the sacs.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is 558 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
Serve this dish with other Japanese recipes. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Mentaiko Pasta
Authentic Mentaiko pasta with creamy and rich Meitako sauce. This Mentaiko pasta recipe is so easy to make at home and tastes like Japanese restaurants.
Instructions
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Cook the spaghetti per the package instructions. Make sure you cook the spaghetti al dente.
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Prepare the Meitako. If you use the whole Mentaiko in sacs (right picture), makes sure you use a spoon to scrape out the caviar/roe. Discard the sacs.
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Heat up a skillet on low heat. Add the butter and olive oil, follow by the Mentaiko, dashi, heavy whipping cream, mirin, salt and ground black pepper. Bring to a light simmer, stir the sauce to combine well.
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Drain and transfer the spaghetti to the skillet. Mix well with the sauce.
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Add the egg yolk, if using, stir to make the pasta richer and creamier.
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Dish out, garnish with the Meitako, some microgreen and ground black pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Mentaiko Pasta
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 558
Calories from Fat 270
% Daily Value*
Fat 30g46%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Polyunsaturated Fat 15g
Cholesterol 281mg94%
Sodium 671mg29%
Carbohydrates 44g15%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 27g54%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
