Sardinian Spaghetti with Bottarga, Lemon and Garlic Breadcrumbs

⏱ 25 min · Serves 2

Cured grey mullet roe grated over hot pasta is one of Italy's great five-ingredient miracles ffffff — salty, briny and almost creamy. A scatter of crisp garlic breadcrumbs adds the crunch that makes it feel like a restaurant plate.

Per serving: 720 kcal · 26.0g protein · 80.0g carbs · 32.0g fat

Ingredients

• 200g spaghetti or spaghettini
• 60g bottarga di muggine (grey mullet roe), in a piece
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, 1 sliced thin, 1 halved
• 30g coarse dry breadcrumbs (from stale sourdough)
• 1 small dried chilli, crumbled (optional)
• Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, plus 1 tbsp juice
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Fine sea salt, for the pasta water
• Black pepper

Method

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and salt it lightly — bottarga is very salty, so go easier than usual.
2. Grate about two thirds of the bottarga finely (a microplane is ideal) into a bowl; shave the rest into thin slices with a peeler and set aside for the top.
3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the halved garlic clove and the breadcrumbs and toast, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until golden and crisp. Tip onto a plate, discard the garlic and season with black pepper.
4. Cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than the packet says.
5. Meanwhile, wipe out the pan, add the remaining 3 tbsp olive oil, the sliced garlic and the chilli. Warm very gently for 2 minutes — the garlic should barely colour. Take off the heat.
6. Scoop out a mugful of pasta water. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the garlic oil with 60ml of the pasta water. Toss over low heat for 30 seconds until glossy.
7. Off the heat, add the grated bottarga, lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley. Toss hard, loosening with a splash more pasta water until the sauce clings creamily. Never let it boil once the bottarga is in, or it turns grainy.
8. Serve at once, topped with the bottarga shavings and the garlic breadcrumbs. No cheese needed.