Spaghetti Bottarga

1. Cook the pasta

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, using just enough water to cover the pasta by 1-2 inches. This will save you some time waiting for the water to boil and will also ensure that you have plenty of starch in the pasta water to help hold your emulsion. Add about two teaspoons of salt per quart of water. Toss in the pasta and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute less than the package suggests for al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.

2. Sweat the Aromatics

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and sauté the garlic and chili until fragrant. Avoid browning the garlic, as it can become bitter far before looking burnt.

3. Sauce the Pasta

Transfer the cooked pasta directly into the pan, along with a 1/4 cup of pasta water. Toss and stir the pasta in the sauce as it reduces to help form an emulsion. The sauce should be thick enough to leave slight streaks in the bottom of the pan while you stir. Be careful not to reduce it too far as you'll break the emulsion. The Bottarga you’re going to add will thicken the sauce, so keep it a bit loose at this point.

4. Add Bottarga

Remove the skillet from the heat and mix in the bottarga, lemon juice, and parsley. Ensure the pasta is well coated. Adjust the texture of the sauce here with more pasta water if needed, the consistency should be creamy, almost like a carbonara.

5. Finishing Ingredients

Taste for seasoning, adjusting with salt and lemon juice if needed. Plate and serve.