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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.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is 805 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Mentaiko Pasta
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
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225 grams) spaghetti pasta
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Meitaiko Sauce:
Garnishing!
- 1/2 teaspoon Mentaiko
- Microgreen
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti per the package instructions. Make sure you cook the spaghetti al dente.
- 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.
- 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.
- Drain and transfer the spaghetti to the skillet. Mix well with the sauce.
- Add the egg yolk, if using, stir to make the pasta richer and creamier.
- Dish out, garnish with the Meitako, some microgreen and ground black pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yummy