Mario Batali's Spaghetti with Bottarga

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped Italian parsley
• 6 ounces tuna or mullet bottarga
• Grated zest of 2 lemons

Directions

Set a large pot with 6 quarts of water over high heat and bring it to a boil, then stir in 2 tablespoons salt. Meanwhile, put the olive oil, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan and warm them gently over low heat until the garlic smells fragrant, about 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat. Cook the spaghetti until it is just al dente. Scoop out 1/2 cup of the cooking water and keep it nearby, then drain the pasta thoroughly. Add the spaghetti to the pan with the oil mixture, pour in the reserved pasta water, add the parsley, and toss everything together over medium heat until well combined. Move the pasta into a warmed serving bowl. With a hand-held mandolin or vegetable peeler, shave the bottarga directly over the top. Finish with the lemon zest and serve right away.