Martha's Bottarga Pasta Recipe

Servings:

4

This bottarga pasta is a dish Martha tasted on her first visit to the Italian island of Sardinia. It showcases the pressed, salted, and air-dried roe of gray mullet or tuna, which has a unique pungent flavor. Adding it to a garlic-breadcrumbs-caper-golden-raisin sauce along with Parmesan, pine nuts, and parsley creates a quick pasta quite unlike any other. Long tubular bucatini is Martha’s choice for this unusual recipe. She says it's a dish you can't stop eating—and one you will remember forever.

Do not cook the bottarga; follow the recipe and add it to the dish when it is off the heat. Cooking bottarga would damage its unique flavor and texture.

Directions

Prep and sauté 5 cloves garlic:

Finely chop 5 garlic cloves. In medium skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add breadcrumbs and cook:

Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes; set aside.
Boil water; cook pasta:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt boiling water and add pasta. Cook until still very firm, 5 to 6 minutes.
Cook remaining garlic, capers, raisins:

Meanwhile, in a large high-sided skillet, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Crush remaining 4 garlic cloves and add to skillet along with capers and raisins; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add lemon, stock, butter, and Aleppo pepper:

Add preserved lemon, chicken stock, lemon juice, butter, Aleppo pepper, and a pinch of salt.
Simmer sauce and add pasta:

Bring to a simmer and add pasta. Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, about 3 minutes; remove from heat.
Add remaining ingredients:

Stir in pine nuts, parsley, grated Parmesan, and bottarga.
Garnish and serve:

Garnish with reserved breadcrumb mixture. Shave over parmesan and bottarga. Serve immediately.

Other Bucatini Recipes to Try:

Bucatini All'Amatriciana
Bucatini With Pancetta, Tomatoes, and Onion
Bucatini With Roasted and Fresh Tomatoes
Bucatini With Cauliflower, Capers, and Lemon
Vegetarian Bolognese With Bucatini

Updated by

Victoria Spencer

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Martha’s Bucatini With Breadcrumbs and Bottarga

Directions

Prep and sauté 5 cloves garlic:

Add breadcrumbs and cook:

Boil water; cook pasta:

Cook remaining garlic, capers, raisins:

Add lemon, stock, butter, and Aleppo pepper:

Simmer sauce and add pasta:

Add remaining ingredients:

Garnish and serve:

Other Bucatini Recipes to Try:

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