10 Minute Meal – Mentaiko Pasta
This magnificent 10-Minute Mentaiko Pasta will transport you to Japan! We cook spaghetti in an electric cooker, then toss it in a luscious and creamy sauce with spicy salted cod roe. You'll be amazed at how such a quick and simple pasta can taste so incredible!
Ingredients
- 3 shiso leaves aka perilla, ooba
- ¼ heet nori dried laver seaweed
- 1 ac pollock roe about 1 sac (1 oz, 30 g) per serving; I use the kind without food coloring, so my dish does not look as pink/orange as other versions, spicy salted, or cod roe (karashi mentaiko
- 2 cups water
- ¼ tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
- 4 oz spaghetti
- ½ Tbsp butter unsalted
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream whipping
- ½ Tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. I use an electric pot for this recipe and others in the 10-Minute Meal series. You also could use a regular saucepan on the stove.
- Stack 3 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba), roll, and slice into thin strips. Set aside for garnish.
- Cut ¼ sheet nori (dried laver seaweed) into thin strips 2 inches (5 cm) long. I used kitchen shears. Set aside for garnish.
- Make a lengthwise slit in the membrane of 1 sac spicy salted pollock roe or cod roe (karashi mentaiko). Open the sac and scrape out the roe with a spoon. Discard the membrane.
To Cook
- Add 2 cups water to a saucepan or electric pot and cover with a lid. Bring it to a boil on medium-high heat or Mode II (600W) on the electric pot.
- When boiling, add ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Break 4 oz spaghetti in half (so that it fits in the pot) and add to the boiling water. Tip: You don't need to break the spaghetti in half if you're using a big enough pot that fits the noodles.
- Make sure the pasta is submerged completely in the water. Cook, uncovered, for 11 minutes or until it's al dente.
- After 11 minutes, turn off the heat. Hold back the spaghetti with the lid and drain the pasta cooking water into a sink or the measuring cup (to discard later).
- Add ½ Tbsp unsalted butter, 1 Tbsp milk, and 1 Tbsp heavy (whipping) cream to the drained pasta in the pot.
- Add ½ Tbsp soy sauce. Then, add the mentaiko.
- Toss to combine until the butter is melted and the sauce evenly coats the pasta.
To Serve
- Serve the mentaiko pasta on an individual plate. Top with the sliced shiso and shredded nori. Enjoy!
To Store
- Unfortunately, this dish doesn‘t reheat well from leftovers since the mentaiko will overcook if reheated.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 614
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 614kcal | 31% |
| Carbohydrates | 88g | 29% |
| Protein | 24g | 48% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 0.2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 201mg | 67% |
| Sodium | 923mg | 38% |
| Potassium | 345mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 709IU | 14% |
| Vitamin C | 0.3mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 132mg | 13% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.