Seafood pasta / Mediterranean first course
A bright Sardinian-inspired pasta with silky olive oil, grated bottarga, lemon zest, parsley, and perfectly al dente linguine. Salty, citrusy, elegant, and ready fast.
Recipe video
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt it well, then add the linguine and stir so the strands do not stick.
While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a wide pan over low heat. Add the crushed garlic and let it perfume the oil gently for 1–2 minutes without browning.
Remove the garlic. Add lemon zest and black pepper to the warm oil, then turn off the heat.
When the linguine is very al dente, reserve about 120 ml / 4 fl oz pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Transfer the linguine to the pan. Add a splash of reserved pasta water and toss quickly until glossy.
Add the lemon juice and half the parsley. Toss again, keeping the texture loose and silky.
Remove the pan from direct heat. Sprinkle in most of the grated bottarga and toss gently so it coats the pasta without cooking aggressively.
Add more pasta water, a spoonful at a time, if the pasta looks dry.
Taste before adding extra salt, because bottarga is naturally salty.
Plate the linguine in warm bowls, twisting it into neat nests.
Finish with extra bottarga, the remaining parsley, a little lemon zest, and a thin drizzle of olive oil.
Serve immediately while glossy and aromatic.
