Urchin Roe Pasta



Before.....



.....and after!

Looking at the humble, thorny sea urchin, you wouldn't think that you could make something yummy with them.  But make something yummy you can!  Snorkel up 7 or 8 good sized white urchins (be careful or wear gloves when you grab them off the bottom) and crack one of them open in a bowl with a sharp knife.  Shake out the goo and water, then examine the inside of the shell.  

If your timing is right, you'll see 5 or 6 radial stripes of orange roe, or eggs, lining the shell's roof.  If you don't see anything, dump the urchins back into the sea and try again in another week.  Urchins all seem to make eggs at the same time, so if you don't find any in your first one, it's likely that none of them have any.  If you do indeed see orange rows of eggs, you're in luck and you can make yourself a really tasty pasta dish.   The roe has a very subtle, unobtrusive taste and we were pleasantly surprised when we tried them.

Carefully open each urchin and scoop out their eggs into a seperate bowl until you've got about a cup reserved.  

olive oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup of sea urchin roe
1/4 cup of white wine
one bay leaf
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp thyme
one pinch of red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
One package of whole wheat pasta noodles

stinky feet cheese (optional)
fresh basil leaves (optional)


Heat some salted water for the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the olive oil and toss in the garlic and onion.  Saute until the onion is translucent, then add the roe, wine and spices.  Saute for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat.  Toss this sauce with pasta, sprinkle with a good stinky pasta cheese and fresh basil leaves, and dig in!
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