Tagliatelle with bottarga is an Italian pasta of fresh noodles, olive oil, onion, herbs and grated cured fish roe, ready in about 20 minutes. It feeds 4 and works as a quick dinner when you have almost nothing in the fridge.
Why This Recipe Works
Bottarga is salted, air-dried fish roe, and it is the only seasoning here that matters. Grated over hot pasta, it melts into the oil and gives the noodles a deep, briny taste that salt alone can’t.
Because the roe is so salty, the cooking water gets only a small pinch of salt. Season heavily and the finished plate turns harsh. You can always add more at the table, but you can’t take it back.
Cook the onion slowly in the oil until it turns soft and see-through, not brown. It adds a mild sweetness that balances the salt, and the flavored oil is what coats every strand of tagliatelle.
Tagliatelle with Bottarga Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 pound fresh tagliatelle or spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil
- 2 ounces bottarga, grated
How To Make Tagliatelle with Bottarga
Soften the onion
- Warm the oil: Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and set it over medium heat. Starting with a warm pan lets the onion cook gently instead of sizzling hard.
- Cook the onion: Add the chopped onion and fry it until it turns transparent. Keep the heat moderate so it softens without browning, which would add bitterness.
Cook and toss the pasta
- Boil the pasta: Cook the tagliatelle in a pot of boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Add only a little salt to the water, because the bottarga is very salty.
- Toss with the onion: Drain the pasta and tip it straight into the skillet with the oil and onion. Toss well so every strand picks up some oil.
- Finish with herbs and bottarga: Add the parsley, the basil and the grated bottarga. Toss once more and serve right away, while the pasta is hot enough to melt the bottarga into the oil.
Recipe Tips
- Go easy on the salt: Salt the water lightly, or not at all if your bottarga is especially strong. Taste a strand before you add anything else.
- Choose tuna bottarga: The tuna type gives the best flavor here. Jarred pre-grated bottarga also works well when you can’t find a whole piece.
- Grate it fresh: If you buy a whole piece, grate it just before serving. Fresh shavings melt into the hot pasta and keep their aroma.
- Keep some pasta water: Save a small cup of cooking water before you drain. A spoonful loosens the noodles if they look dry after tossing.
What To Serve With Tagliatelle with Bottarga
Serve the pasta straight from the skillet with a simple green salad dressed in lemon and olive oil. A chilled glass of dry white wine suits the salty roe.
How To Store
- Fridge: Keep leftovers in a covered container for up to 2 days. The bottarga flavor gets stronger as it sits.
- Reheat: Warm the pasta in a skillet over low heat with a spoonful of water or olive oil until hot all the way through.
FAQs
What is bottarga?
Bottarga is the roe of grey mullet or tuna, salted and then air-dried until firm. You grate or shave it over food as a seasoning, much like a hard cheese.
Where can I buy bottarga?
Look in Italian delis, specialty food shops and online gourmet stores. Pre-grated bottarga in jars is easier to find and gives quite good results.
Can I use spaghetti instead of tagliatelle?
Yes. Fresh tagliatelle or spaghetti both work with this sauce. If you use dried pasta, follow the package time, since it takes longer than fresh.
Why does my pasta taste too salty?
Bottarga is very salty, so the water needs only a little salt. Use less next time and taste before you add more at the table.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 520 kcal
- Total Fat: 20g
- Total Carbohydrate: 68g
- Dietary Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 18g
Tagliatelle with Bottarga
4
servings10
minutes10
minutes20
minutesFresh tagliatelle tossed with soft onion, olive oil, parsley, basil and grated bottarga. A salty, savory Italian pasta for 4 that comes together in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 pound fresh tagliatelle or spaghetti
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped basil
2 ounces bottarga, grated
Directions
- Warm the oil: Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and set it over medium heat. Starting with a warm pan lets the onion cook gently instead of sizzling hard.
- Cook the onion: Add the chopped onion and fry it until it turns transparent. Keep the heat moderate so it softens without browning, which would add bitterness.
- Boil the pasta: Cook the tagliatelle in a pot of boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Add only a little salt to the water, because the bottarga is very salty.
- Toss with the onion: Drain the pasta and tip it straight into the skillet with the oil and onion. Toss well so every strand picks up some oil.
- Finish with herbs and bottarga: Add the parsley, the basil and the grated bottarga. Toss once more and serve right away, while the pasta is hot enough to melt the bottarga into the oil.
