Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino con Bottarga

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) package spaghetti
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red chile pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 oz grated Sardinian mullet bottarga, divided
• 4 tbsp chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
• 1 small lemon, zested and juiced

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat.
3. Add garlic to the oil and cook until just warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chile pepper and stir together, reducing the temperature to medium-low. Continue stirring. The garlic should never become dark brown or crispy; if this happens, the garlic is burnt and should be discarded.
4. Drain the pasta, reserving at least 1 cup pasta water. Add the spaghetti to the oil mixture, still on medium-low heat. Stir or toss until all the spaghetti is well coated. Add 3/4 of the bottarga and stir to mix with the spaghetti, adding the reserved pasta water to hydrate as needed. There should be a little sauce when serving but not soupy.
5. Divide onto 4 plates and sprinkle with chopped parsley and lemon zest. Squeeze lemon juice over and sprinkle remaining bottarga on top right before serving.