Tarako Pasta

I’ve said it before and today won’t be the last. I love pasta. And Japanese style pasta is no exception. I’ve featured the beauty of fusion pasta dishes before with my mushroom pasta and I’m sharing another classic today: tarako pasta. Tossed in a creamy cod or pollock roe, each strand of pasta is wrapped in seafood goodness. Tarako pasta is extremely popular in Japan but unfortunately hard to find here in the states. I used to rely on mediocre premixed packets (really, who wants to eat seafood from a bag??) until I realized that I could make my own so easily. It’s not a looker but if you love caviar and the taste of the sea, this is your dish.

First, get some quality cod roe. Kanefuku is a great brand imported from Japan. A box of this stuff goes for $13 which is definitely not cheap but it will last a while and you can use it for other dishes (it’s great with a bowl of rice). Don’t cheap out here because it’s the most important ingredient. There’s a regular and spicy version. Either one will be delicious.

If you’ve ever seen fish roe in its natural state you’ll know that they come in sacks. As much as I love the casing, it’s useless in this dish so split it open with a sharp knife and scrape out the roe.

Once you have all of the roe in a bowl, mix in melted butter, soy sauce, and milk/cream into the mixture. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, they all work together like magic.

This is an optional step but if you can get your hands on shiso, the freshness of the herbs pairs so well with the creaminess of the pasta. Julienne shiso for garnish.

Toss in boiled pasta of your choosing into the cod roe mixture with a dash of olive oil and serve with julienned seaweed and shiso. Enjoy!