Uni Spaghetti Recipe

Sea Urchin Spaghetti — Photo:
Cedric Angeles

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

35 mins

Yield:

4 servings

This classic Sicilian pasta dish from chef Evan Funke has a beautiful orange-red color thanks to a sauce made from sea urchin. In Italian, sea urchins are called ricci di mare, literally, “hedgehogs of the sea,” referring to their hard, spiky exterior. That protective layer encases segments of buttery, creamy meat that chefs call “tongues” due to their textured appearance and shape. The rich, briny flavor of sea urchin benefits from the salt, the bright acidity of the lemon juice, and the herbaceousness of the parsley that all come together to create the finished, glossy dish.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I purchase sea urchin?

Only obtain sea urchin from a source that ensures they’re fresh and sustainably caught; for an online purveyor, we recommend ordering from Catalina Offshore Products.

What wine should I pair with uni spaghetti?

We recommend a crisp, coastal Sicilian white wine, such as Donnafugata SurSur Grillo, to cut through the richness of the sea urchin.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Choose sea urchin tongues, sometimes sold as uni, that hold their shape. They should be vibrant, bright orange or yellow in color, and have a clean, delicate ocean scent. While they should be soft, uni should never be mushy. Store sea urchins in the refrigerator, and use within 1 to 2 days after purchasing.

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Ingredients

16 sea urchin tongues (about 4 1/4 ounces), divided
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon cold tap water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for cooking pasta and to taste
14 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 medium garlic clove, smashed
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Directions

Bring a large, heavy-bottomed pot of water to a boil over high.
Meanwhile, mash together 12 sea urchin tongues, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon cold water, and salt with a fork until a semi-smooth, loose mixture forms. Cover and reserve in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Once the water boils, season with salt so it tastes like a heavily seasoned soup (not like the ocean). Drop in the spaghetti, and stir with a fork or tongs to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together; cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain spaghetti through a colander once it reaches desired doneness, reserving about 1 to 1 1/4 cups of pasta cooking liquid.
When the pasta is halfway through the cooking time (this will vary based on the thickness of the pasta, but is usually about 5 to 7 minutes — check your pasta’s package directions), begin the sauce: Heat 1/4 cup oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-low. Toast the garlic, stirring often, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then remove and discard the garlic clove. Ladle 1 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid into the skillet, and bring to a simmer.
Add drained pasta to the skillet, and increase the heat to medium-high, mixing the pasta immediately with tongs, giving it a couple of tosses. Add parsley and mix vigorously with the tongs. (This will help the starch from the pasta to thicken the sauce.) Cook the mixture, mixing and tossing, until pasta looks glossy, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Vigorously stir in the reserved sea urchin mixture. If the sauce looks tight (too thick), add a splash of the reserved pasta cooking liquid as needed to thin it. Season to taste with lemon juice and additional salt, if desired.
Divide pasta evenly among four serving bowls. Garnish with remaining four raw sea urchin tongues; drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Serve immediately.