Tobiko Pasta

By Eric Kim

Updated Dec. 24, 2024

Tobiko Pasta
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(277)
Comments
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When you’re craving the dynamic flavors of sushi and the warmth of creamy pasta, this speedy meal hits the spot. It stars tobiko, the delightfully briny and slightly sweet flying fish roe that often coats the outside of a California roll. Other roes such as ikura (from salmon or trout) and masago (from capelin) work well too. They all lend rich seafood flavor with zero effort, not to mention fun pops of texture. The only thing you have to cook is the spaghetti, which gets tossed with cream cheese, Cheddar and pasta water to become a lovely sauce. Creamy but light, the sauce gains dimension from the tried-and-true combination of soy sauce and the horseradish bite of wasabi paste, which mellows out once combined with the hot pasta. Enjoy with your favorite sparkling wine or sake.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • Salt
  • 1pound spaghetti or linguine
  • 4ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
  • 1(2-ounce) chunk extra-sharp white Cheddar or Parmesan, finely grated through a microplane or the smallest holes on a box grater
  • 2teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1teaspoon wasabi paste
  • 1heaping tablespoon tobiko, masago or ikura, plus more for serving (see Tip)
  • Nori, cut into thin matchsticks with scissors, and thinly sliced scallions, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and return to its pot.

  2. Step 2

    Add the cream cheese, white Cheddar, soy sauce, wasabi, tobiko and ¾ cup of the reserved cooking water. Toss until combined and the cheeses are melted, adding splashes of the pasta cooking water, as needed, to thin out the sauce, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt.

  3. Step 3

    To serve, plate the pasta, then top each serving with a little nori, scallion and more tobiko.

Tip
  • Fish roes such as tobiko (from flying fish), masago (from capelin, a type of smelt fish) and ikura (from salmon) are much more affordable than caviar and easy to find in the refrigerated section of many grocery stores and Asian markets. They add delicate pops of seaside salinity to dishes.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
277 user ratings
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Comments

Tara

Believe it or not, the big-box, Sweden-based, home-goods store that we all know so well sells its own seaweed 'caviar.' They call it “Sjörapport,” or “Seaweed Pearls,” and it's a caviar made from kelp (seaweed). It has the correct look and mouth-feel with a good measure of sea-like brininess.

Eric Kim

Hi Kevin, this is incredible with Boursin and Brie, as well. I chose cream cheese because it melts beautifully, but this recipe is very adaptable. Enjoy, Eric

LeafyNYC

Other roes such as tarako (pollock roe) or Mentaiko (spicy pollock roe) work too. Open secret for Koreans & Japanese :)

Linda

Made it exactly as written and my husband and I loved it! He will not add more tobiko next time and I will leave off the green onions but we’ll definitely make it again soon.

Susan

This sounds amazing, but when I researched getting the roe, all I could find was a couple of ounces for $159. Please tell me where to get an affordable option!! Many thanks!

Bob Cooper

I was surprised as Eric Kim’s recipes are typically bursting with flavor but this was very bland. I would double the tobiko, soy sauce and wasabi to start and maybe add even more

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