Myeongran Lemon Cream Fettuccine
Quick answer
Myeongran lemon cream fettuccine wraps wide pasta ribbons in a sauce made from salted pollock roe, heavy cream, butter, and lemon zest.
What makes this special
- Salted pollock roe and lemon zest wrap wide fettuccine in a savory, citrus-scented cream.
- Mentaiko stirred off-heat so roe stays tender, not grainy
- Lemon zest layers citrus fragrance over the briny roe base
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Slit the sac of 80g mentaiko lengthwise and scrape out the roe.
- 2 Cook 180g fettuccine in salted boiling water for 1 minute less than the package time.
- 3 Melt 20g unsalted butter in a pan. Cook the minced garlic over low heat for...
Myeongran lemon cream fettuccine wraps wide pasta ribbons in a sauce made from salted pollock roe, heavy cream, butter, and lemon zest. The small eggs of the roe are left intact and stirred into the sauce off the heat so they stay soft and burst with briny flavor when bitten rather than turning granular or hard. Garlic bloomed in butter forms the aromatic base, and a mixture of heavy cream with milk tempers the roe's saltiness into a smooth, balanced coating. Using lemon zest rather than juice adds a bright citrus fragrance without diluting the sauce or introducing acidity that would curdle the cream. Parmigiano-Reggiano deepens the savory foundation, and fettuccine's broad, flat surface holds the thick cream more effectively than thinner pasta shapes. The entire dish takes about twenty minutes from start to plate, making it a practical weeknight option that does not sacrifice depth of flavor for speed. The critical technique -- incorporating the roe off the heat -- keeps the texture creamy throughout and prevents the eggs from cooking into tough, unpleasant morsels.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Slit the sac of 80g mentaiko lengthwise and scrape out the roe.
Finely mince 2 garlic cloves.
- 2Finish
Cook 180g fettuccine in salted boiling water for 1 minute less than the package time.
Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
- 3Control
Melt 20g unsalted butter in a pan.
Cook the minced garlic over low heat for 30-40 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- 4Control
Add 180ml heavy cream and 80ml milk and heat over low heat until just below simmering.
Add 40g of the roe and stir until dissolved into the sauce.
- 5Heat
Add the cooked fettuccine, 30g Parmigiano, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest.
Toss gently while adding pasta water to adjust consistency.
- 6Finish
Turn off the heat and place the remaining 40g roe on top.
Season with 0.5 teaspoon salt and 0.5 teaspoon pepper and serve immediately.
After the steps
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