about 85 g sea urchin roe, plus a few whole lobes reserved for serving
1 tsp shichimi togarashi, plus more for finishing
2 tbsp olive oil
170 g spaghetti or linguine
2 tbsp butter
1 small garlic clove, grated
1 tbsp mascarpone or crème fraîche
1 tsp yuzu juice (or lemon juice)
100 gr panko
Shiso leaves, thinly sliced
Toasted nori, cut into thin strips
Flaky salt, to taste
Preparation
In a food processor, blend the urchin roe, shichimi togarashi, and mascarpone. Slowly stream in the olive oil until smooth. Stir in the yuzu juice. Set aside.
In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the panko with a teaspoon of butter, stirring constantly until golden, about 2 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and set aside.
Boil in well-salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.
In a large skillet over low heat, melt the remaining butter with the grated garlic for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant (don’t let it brown). Add the pasta and toss to coat. Take the pan off the heat briefly, then add the uni purée and splash in the pasta water a little at a time, tossing until a glossy, creamy sauce forms. Keeping the heat low is important, since uni can turn grainy if it gets too hot. Taste and adjust the salt.
Top with the reserved uni lobes, shiso, nori, the crispy panko, and a sprinkle of togarashi.
