This magnificent 10-Minute Mentaiko Pasta will transport you to Japan! We cook spaghetti in an electric cooker, then toss it in a luscious and creamy sauce with spicy salted cod roe. You’ll be amazed at how such a quick and simple pasta can taste so incredible!
This week’s Easy College Meal Series is the classic Japanese-fusion Mentaiko Pasta. It’s fancy and indulgent yet ridiculously easy to make. If you have a Dezin Electric Cookerboth cooking and cleaning time will be cut in half. As I always tell my son, “There’s no excuse not to cook and eat well, even if you live in a dorm or are too busy with exams.”
Now, let us show you how you, too, can make this special pasta dish in just 10 minutes!
What to Know about Mentaiko Pasta
Mentaiko Pasta (明太子パスタ) is a beloved Japanese fusion dish that combines the best of both worlds: the comforting familiarity of Italian pasta with the rich, briny flavors of mentaiko—spicy salted cod roe.
This simple yet decadent the dead pasta (和風パスタ) became popular in Japan in the 1970s and has since become a staple in both home kitchens and restaurants. Known for its creamy, umami-packed sauce, mentaiko pasta delivers a satisfying kick from the mentaiko, balanced by the richness of butter or cream. It’s also quick to make, deeply flavorful, and the perfect example of how Japan effortlessly blends global cuisines into something truly unique.
You can find my original Mentaiko Pasta recipe where you can cook the pasta separately for two or more servings in the pot.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Where to Buy Mentaiko
You can find (karashi) mentaiko (辛子明太子) in either the refrigerated or frozen section of Japanese or Korean supermarkets. When planning a trip to a Japanese or Korean grocery store, it’s the perfect time to stock up on the special ingredients you need for making Japanese dishes.
Alternatively, you can order mentaiko imported from Japan from this online seafood shop offers. The Japanese food company S&B carries an instant mentaiko spaghetti sauce which is available on Amazon. You can use the instant sauce but it will not be the same.
Substitution Tips
Milk and Heavy Whipping Cream: You can use “Half and Half” instead of mixing milk and heavy whipping cream. Prefer a lighter sauce? Use whole milk (or reduced-fat milk) only. You can use heavy cream only for a creamier consistency.
Butter: You can replace the butter with extra virgin olive oil.
Shiso (perilla leaves): This Japanese herb adds a fresh and herbaceous element and a lovely aroma to the creamy and savory pasta. You can buy it at a Japanese/Korean grocery store. If you can’t find it, then you can leave it out. There’s no good substitute for shiso.
If you’re adventurous, you can try a tiny bit of mint or basil, or a mix of herbs of your choice, to add a touch of freshness. Please let us know what you experimented with and how it worked.
How To Make One-Pot Mentaiko Pasta
- Prep the ingredients. This dish comes together really quickly, so make sure the table is set, and you’re ready to dig in!
- Start boiling the water, then add the salt and spaghetti! This takes the longest (10 minutes).
- Drain the pasta water from the pot.
- Toss the pasta, ingredients, and seasonings in the pot.
- Transfer the pasta to a plate, and top with shiso and nori seaweed. Serve immediately!
Recipe Tips
- Salt the pasta water once it starts boiling. The salted water will help season your spaghetti.
- You don’t need to break the spaghetti in half if you have a pot large enough to fit the noodles. Here, we cook a single serving in a small Dezin Electric Cooker, so we have to break the pasta to make sure it cooks evenly and remains al dente.
- When draining the pasta cooking water, use the pot’s lid to keep the spaghetti from falling out. This is convenient if you don’t have a sieve on hand!
- Adjust the ratio of the butter, milk, and cream to achieve your preferred creaminess.
- Cook only the portion you need and enjoy it right away. I don’t recommend keeping leftovers, as mentaiko does not reheat well.
How To Store
If you reheat mentaiko, the fish eggs will overcook, so I do not recommend storing and reheating the pasta.
What To Serve with Mentaiko Pasta
You can put together a simple salad by tossing spring mix with any of these easy dressings to pair with the pasta.
Easy College Meal Series
I started sharing this College Meal Series when my son began living in the dorm at his college. All the recipes here are designed for anyone who is interested in learning how to cook simple, fast, and affordable meals.
Here are some of the favorites we’ve shared:
As you can see, we use this versatile Dezin Electric Cooker to cook a wide variety of dishes and have been amazed by its functionality and effectiveness.
You can use your saucepan or frying pan to cook these dishes instead of the Dezin as well.
I hope you enjoy this 10-Minute Mentaiko Pasta Recipe. Don’t miss the video, which my son actually cooked following my recipe on Instagram!
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Gather all the ingredients. I use an electric pot for this recipe and others in the 10-Minute Meal series. You also could use a regular saucepan on the stove.
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Stack 3 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba)roll, and slice into thin strips. Set aside for garnish.
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Cut ¼ sheet nori (dried laver seaweed) into thin strips 2 inches (5 cm) long. I used kitchen shears. Set aside for garnish.
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Make a lengthwise slit in the membrane of 1 sac spicy salted pollock roe or cod roe (karashi mentaiko). Open the sac and scrape out the roe with a spoon. Discard the membrane.
To Cook
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Add 2 cups water to a saucepan or electric pot and cover with a lid. Bring it to a boil on medium-high heat or Mode II (600W) on the electric pot.
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When boiling, add ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Break 4 oz spaghetti in half (so that it fits in the pot) and add to the boiling water. Tip: You don’t need to break the spaghetti in half if you’re using a big enough pot that fits the noodles.
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Make sure the pasta is submerged completely in the water. Cook, uncovered, for 11 minutes or until it’s al dente.
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After 11 minutes, turn off the heat. Hold back the spaghetti with the lid and drain the pasta cooking water into a sink or the measuring cup (to discard later).
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Add ½ Tbsp unsalted butter, 1 Tbsp milkand 1 Tbsp heavy (whipping) cream to the drained pasta in the pot.
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Add ½ Tbsp soy sauce. Then, add the mentaiko.
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Toss to combine until the butter is melted and the sauce evenly coats the pasta.
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