Ikura Pasta: A Delicious and Easy Recipe for Dinner
Ikura Pasta: Easy Salmon Roe Pasta with Lemon Butter
Ikura pasta is a quick dinner built around one important technique: cook the pasta and sauce first, remove them from direct heat, then add prepared salmon roe as a finishing ingredient. This keeps the pearls intact and preserves the contrast between warm pasta and chilled ikura.
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Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti or linguine
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche, optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2–3 tbsp prepared ikura
- Fresh chives or dill
Method
- Cook pasta until al dente and reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Melt butter with olive oil. Gently cook shallot and garlic without burning them.
- Add lemon zest and crème fraîche if using. Toss in the pasta and loosen the sauce with reserved pasta water as needed.
- Remove the pan from direct heat. Plate the pasta and allow strong steam to subside.
- Spoon ikura over the finished pasta, garnish with chives or dill, and serve immediately.
Choosing Ikura for Pasta
Coho Salmon Caviar, Chum Salmon Caviar, King Salmon Caviar, and Pink Salmon Caviar can all work. Rather than treating one species as universally best, check the current product description and choose based on pearl size, salinity, texture, and the sauce you are serving.
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Variations
Creamy Ikura Pasta
Use a small amount of heavy cream instead of crème fraîche. Keep the sauce simple and add the ikura only after cooking.
Spicy Ikura Pasta
Add a small amount of chili to the sauce, then finish the plated pasta with chilled salmon roe.
Ikura and Uni Pasta
Uni can be incorporated gently into a sauce, while the prepared ikura is best reserved for the final garnish.
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Storage and Leftovers
If making the pasta ahead, store the pasta and roe separately. Reheat only the pasta and sauce, then add chilled ikura after plating. Storage life for the roe depends on the specific product, cure, packaging, and prior freezing history, so follow the current label and package directions.
Read the Salmon Roe Storage Guide and the Salmon Roe & Ikura Guide.
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