If you’ve never had mentaiko pasta before, think of it as the Japanese answer to a rich, creamy seafood pasta. Thin strands of pasta are coated in a buttery cream sauce and tossed through with salted pollock roe, giving the whole dish an incredible savoury, umami flavour with a gentle kick of heat. It tastes like something you’d order at a little Tokyo cafe, but it’s surprisingly simple to make at home and comes together in under 20 minutes.
I know mentaiko can sound a little intimidating if you’ve never cooked with it before, but this is genuinely one of those recipes that feels far fancier than the effort involved. The sauce comes together quickly, the ingredients are minimal, and the end result is glossy, rich and comforting. If you love creamy pasta and big umami flavours, I feel like this is going to be your new favourite dish!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This creamy mentaiko pasta is fancy enough to appear on table when entertaining guests, but also easy enough to make for a quick, comforting weekend dish for one.
- Rich and creamy – Butter, cream and mentaiko create an incredibly silky sauce that clings perfectly to the pasta.
- Big umami flavour – Mentaiko adds a savoury, slightly briny depth that makes this pasta seriously addictive.
- Quick to make – The whole dish comes together in under 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy nights.
- Restaurant-quality at home – It tastes like something you’d order at a Japanese cafe or pasta bar, but with surprisingly little effort.
- A fun way to use mentaiko – If you’ve never cooked with mentaiko before, this is one of the easiest and most approachable ways to try it.
What is Mentaiko?
Mentaiko is salted pollock roe that’s commonly used in Japanese and Korean cooking. It’s usually sold in sacs or small roe-filled portions and has a savoury, slightly briny flavour with a gentle chilli heat. You’ll often find it used as a filling for onigiri, served with rice, mixed through sauces or tossed through pasta like this.
You can usually find mentaiko in the frozen section of Japanese or Korean grocery stores.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pasta – Thin pasta works best here, so I opt for Angel Hair Pasta, but thin spaghetti also works well.
- Mentaiko – Also known as salted pollock roe. You’ll usually find it frozen at Japanese or Korean grocery stores.
- Butter – Unsalted
- Garlic – Fresh is best!
- Spring onion – Use the white parts in the sauce and reserve the green tops for serving.
- Thickened cream – Or pouring cream.
- Light soy sauce
- Mirin – optional but recommended
- Nori flakes – Optional, but highly recommended for serving. You could slice your own toasted nori sheets into thin strips, or swap for furikake.
How to Make Creamy Mentaiko Pasta
Step 1: Slice open the mentaiko sacs and gently scrape the roe into a small bowl. Discard the membranes and set aside 2 teaspoons of mentaiko for serving.
Step 2: Bring a pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta.
Step 3: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a fry pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and the white part of the spring onion and cook for 1–2 minutes, or until fragrant.
Step 4: Pour in the cream, then stir through the soy sauce and mirin. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Step 5: While the sauce simmers, cook the angel hair pasta until al dente according to packet instructions, usually around 4–5 minutes. Reserve ⅓ cup of pasta water before draining.
Step 6: Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk through the mentaiko. Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water, tossing well until the pasta is glossy and evenly coated in the sauce.
Step 7: Divide between two bowls and top with the reserved mentaiko, sliced green spring onion and nori flakes. Serve immediately.
Tips for the Best Mentaiko Pasta
- Don’t boil the mentaiko – Stir the mentaiko into the sauce off the heat to keep the flavour fresh and prevent it from becoming too grainy.
- Use thin pasta – Angel hair or thin spaghetti work best as they coat beautifully in the sauce and give that noodle feel, but with a chewier mouthfeel.
- Reserve your pasta water – A splash of starchy pasta water helps emulsify the sauce and makes it cling to the pasta properly.
- Taste before adding extra salt – Mentaiko and soy sauce are already quite salty, so the pasta usually won’t need much additional seasoning.
- Serve immediately – This pasta is best eaten fresh while the sauce is silky and glossy.
- Top generously – Extra mentaiko, spring onion and nori on top make a huge difference to both flavour and presentation.
FAQs
What is mentaiko?
Mentaiko is salted cod or pollock roe that’s commonly used in Japanese cooking. It has a savoury, slightly briny flavour with a gentle chilli heat and is often served with rice, used in onigiri or mixed through pasta sauces like this one.
Is mentaiko spicy?
Mentaiko has a mild chilli heat, but it’s generally not overly spicy. The cream and butter in this recipe also mellow the heat considerably.
Where can I buy mentaiko in Australia?
You can usually find mentaiko in the frozen section of Japanese or Korean grocery stores.
Can I make mentaiko pasta without cream?
Yes. Some traditional versions use butter, olive oil or mayonnaise instead of cream for a lighter sauce. This version is intentionally creamy and rich, but you can experiment depending on your preference.
What pasta is best for mentaiko pasta?
Thin pasta like angel hair or thin spaghetti works best because it catches the sauce beautifully and gives the dish that classic Japanese pasta texture.
What’s the difference between mentaiko and tarako?
Both are salted pollock roe, but mentaiko is usually seasoned with chilli while tarako is milder and less spicy. Either can be used in this recipe.
More Japanese-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoyed this creamy mentaiko pasta, here are a few more Japanese-inspired recipes to try next:
- Mentaiko Onigiri – Crispy rice balls filled with savoury, spicy mentaiko for the ultimate snack or lunchbox option.
- Japanese Beef Curry – A rich, comforting curry made with tender beef, vegetables and a deeply savoury Japanese-style curry sauce.
- Spam and Egg Rice Balls – A fun and satisfying grab-and-go meal packed with crispy spam, fluffy egg and seasoned rice.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Mentaiko Pasta
Ingredients
- 120 g mentaiko about 3-4 sacs
- 30 g butter
- 200 g angel hair pasta
- 1 small clove garlic minced
- 1 spring onion finely sliced
- 250 mL cream
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon mirin
For Serving
- Reserved mentaiko
- Sliced spring onion
- Nori flakes
Instructions
- Slice open the mentaiko sacs and gently scrape the roe into a small bowl. Discard the membranes and reserve 1 teaspoon of mentaiko for serving.
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a fry pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and the white part of the spring onion and cook for 1–2 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Pour in the cream and stir through the soy sauce and mirin. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- While the sauce simmers, cook the angel hair pasta until al dente according to packet instructions. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water before draining.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk through the mentaiko. Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water, tossing well until glossy and evenly coated.
- Divide between two bowls and top with the reserved mentaiko, sliced spring onion and nori flakes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Thin spaghetti can be used instead of angel hair pasta.
- Stir the mentaiko into the sauce off the heat to prevent it from becoming grainy.
- Mentaiko can usually be found frozen at Japanese or Korean grocery stores.
- Taste the sauce before adding extra salt, as the mentaiko and soy sauce are already quite salty.
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