Pasta with Bottarga via Sardinia

Bottarga—cured mullet roe—is terrific with pasta; it comes in a slab, and you simply grate it and add it to your dish. MMRuth riffed on a Sardinian recipe and took her usual quick pasta with bottarga to amazing new heights. A bit of cheese and some fruity olive oil added at the end created a creamy dish perfect for the chillier season. MMRuth had Pecorino Sardo on hand but says it’s more similar to Parmesan than to Pecorino Romano, so that’s what she’d use otherwise.

For 1/2 pound of pasta (use a long noodle), heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan. Add 1 minced clove of garlic, 1 crumbled dry chile, and a large handful of chopped Italian parsley, and sauté for a minute or two. Add some quartered cherry or grape tomatoes, and when your pasta is ready, stir in about 1/3 cup grated bottarga. Toss with the pasta, then add and toss in 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Sardo or Parmesan and some fruity olive oil to taste.

MMRuth says that her usual prep—the olive oil, garlic, chile, parsley, and bottarga, tossed with the pasta plus the juice of one lemon—is lighter and perfect for summertime.

Board Link: The Best Bottarga Pasta Yet ….