Il Cucinologo
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Spaghetti with Sea Urchins

17/11/2023

Spaghetti with sea urchins is a classic seafood dish, particularly appreciated in Italian coastal regions where sea urchins are fresh and easily available. Here’s how to prepare this delicious dish.

Ingredients

  • 320 g spaghetti
  • 500 g sea urchins
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Chopped parsley, to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
  • Chili pepper (optional)
  • Salt, to taste

Preparation

  1. First, you need to open the sea urchins. This can be done using a pair of sturdy scissors to cut around the urchin’s mouth, located on the flat part of the shell. Remove the “lid” and use a teaspoon to gently extract the orange pulp, which is the edible part. Collect the pulp in a bowl, straining it through a sieve to remove any shell fragments.

  2. Place a pot of generously salted water on the heat for the pasta. While the water comes to a boil, in a large pan big enough to hold the spaghetti later, sauté a peeled garlic clove in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. If you like, you can also add a piece of chili pepper to give the dish more kick.

  3. As soon as the garlic is golden, remove it and add the sea urchin pulp to the pan. Cook over very low heat for a couple of minutes, just long enough to blend the flavors, being careful not to overcook the sea urchins so they don’t become tough.

  4. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and transfer them to the pan with the sea urchin sauce. Toss the pasta over high heat for a minute so the spaghetti absorb the flavor of the urchins well.

  5. Serve immediately, sprinkling with fresh chopped parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil raw if desired.

Note that the flavor of sea urchins is very delicate and distinctive, a true seafood delicacy that doesn’t require many other ingredients to be fully appreciated.

Curiosities

Sea urchins are highly prized in Mediterranean cuisine for their unique flavor and are considered an aphrodisiac food. In some coastal areas, during certain times of the year, it is possible to join actual “hunts” in search of sea urchins.