spaghetti al caviale


spaghetti with caviar
Here's an idea for a festive starter that you could also make from Xmas leftovers!
After Christmas last year we had, as usual, a random collection of leftovers in the fridge, including a jar of lumpfish caviar. I’ve never been a fan of very strong lemon tastes in savory sauces, but this recipe really does work well with a noticable, but not over-the-top hint of lemon.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO
(scroll down for the full method)
prepare the ingredients
chop the onions
wash the lemons
cook the onions
boil the pasta
combine pasta with onions
plate with caviar

spaghetti with caviar
INGREDIENTS
FOR FOUR PEOPLE
3 small onions
2 tblspns butter
x3 teaspoons lumpfish caviar
zest of one medium lemon, or to taste
cayenne or black pepper
pecorino to taste
PASTA
400g dry Astorino long spaghetti
from Fratelli Camisa
(for a main course; 200g for a starter)
(halve the other ingredients too)
MANTECATURA
light to moderate

METHOD
Start by cutting the onions very finely and cooking gently in butter in your sauce wok. Add some water from time to time if it looks like it’s drying out (you don’t want to colour the onion at all) and keep cooking until it’s super tender. Add a ittle salt and pepper but go easy on the salt as the caviar will bring quite a bit of that with it. Consider adding extra butter at this stage if you like a richer, more indulgent sauce.
Boil and cook your spaghetti and when it’s al dente transfer it to the Sauce Wok / Tossing Pan and finish the cooking there with water, as needed, from the boiling saucepan. Grate some lemon zest directly into the pasta as it cooks but be careful not to overdo it - you’re aiming for a lemony hint, not an overriding lemon kick.
At the last moment, when the pasta’s almost cooked to your liking, and properly coated with the onion and butter sauce, add a few teaspoons of caviar to the pasta, but don’t go mad, otherwise it’ll discolour and break down the longer you leave it in with the pasta. If that happens you'll end up with grey pasta, so be careful!

Plate the pasta as soon as you think it’s cooked and think about grating some more lemon zest over each portion. Garnish with more fresh caviar straight from the jar, like I have in the photo opposite. I added black pepper for this shot but on reflection, cayenne adds a lot more interest to the flavours in this dish. A sprinkle of pecorino too is a lovely companion to the onion and lemon flavours.
NUTRITION per serving
KCAL: we're working on it!
Fat (g): TBC
Sat Fat (g): TBC
Carb (g): TBC
Sug (g): TBC
Fibre(g): TBC
Prot (g): TBC
Salt (g): TBC
