In an international smackdown of salty-creamy pastas, I’d give the Japanese contender the edge over Italy’s beloved spaghetti carbonara. A tidy bowl of cod roe spaghetti is food that satisfies late at night, say, after an evening of visiting your favorite bartenders. It offers crunch, color and a certain aesthetic, sauced in pale pink and set off by glistening fish roe, shredded nori and fragrant lemon zest.
Chef Katsuya Fukushima’s kitchen crew at Daikaya Izakaya in D.C. plates with panache, using special tongs to twirl just-dressed angel-hair pasta into egg-roll-size cylinders. Their technique is achievable, but the spaghetti tastes just as good no matter what shape it’s in.
Cod Roe Spaghetti
4 servings
Whisk together 1/2 cup orange cod roe, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup sake, 1 1/2 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise (a popular Japanese condiment that’s rich and sweet), 1 1/4 teaspoons lemon juice and a small pinch of crushed red pepper flakes in a mixing bowl to form a sauce. Taste, and add up to 2 1/2 tablespoons more cod roe, as needed.
Melt 3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (to taste) in a large skillet over medium-low heat until the butter is foamy. Add about 5 cups cooked angel-hair pasta and toss to coat evenly. Add the sauce; cook just long enough to warm through and coat the pasta. Turn off the heat.
