By Tan Hsueh Yun SoShiok.com Singapore, May 28, 2008   On the face of it, mentaiko pasta just sounds like a fusion dish that’s trying too hard. I mean, which sane person would add seaweed and Japanese mayonnaise to Italian noodles? And not to mention mentaiko, the sacs of salted spicy cod roe. Fish eggs in pasta? Yes. And it is such delicious fusion too, the kind only the Japanese can come up with. In my kitchen, mentaiko pasta is a quick dish I whip up for myself on weeknights when I’m too lazy to do any real cooking. But this dish is one of those rare ones which can go from feeding one to feeding a crowd. Sure, you can order it in Japanese restaurants, but making it at home brings rich rewards because you can add more of the stuff you like. For me, that would be the mentaiko. I like lots and lots of this pink roe in the pasta. There’s nothing like taking a big bite of pasta and then having those little eggs burst in your mouth and releasing their lovely, briny flavour. Over the years, I’ve added and taken out this or that ingredient. Truth be told, a perfectly good version can be made with just the mentaiko, butter, mayonnaise, spring onions and some strips of nori or seaweed. Still, I like all the other things I’ve added to the basic sauce. A dash or five of spicy Shichimi Togarashi amps up the heat. This Japanese blend of red chilli powder, orange peel, black and white sesame seeds, Japanese pepper, seaweed and ginger, really gives the pasta some kick. If you can find yuzu pepper, which is chilli powder and yuzu zest combined, use that because the flavour from the zest is just what you need in a rich dish like this. I also toss the pasta with shiso leaves. These pretty, bright green leaves, also called perilla, have a fresh, slightly minty flavour that offsets the richness of the roe. Myoga, a crisp, juicy flower bud that tastes like a cross between a rose apple and a spring onion, also adds a perky accent to the dish. I also sprinkle some toasted dried sakura shrimps on top of the pasta. You can get these tiny, bright pink shrimps in Japanese supermarkets, and their light crunch adds texture to the pasta. Just think of it as complementing the egg-popping experience. The recipe I’ve given makes enough for two, since the roe tends to come in packs of two anyway. But it’s easy to halve, double or triple the quantities. Just writing about this makes me hungry for some. Good thing I’ve got some mentaiko in the freezer. Ingredients  For two main course servings: 160g spaghetti (I use size 3 or 5) 2 sacs mentaiko, 90-100g 30g unsalted butter, softened 50g Japanese mayonnaise Pinch of Shichimi Togarashi or yuzu pepper, or to taste 2 tsp rice wine vinegar 2 stalks spring onion 4-6 shiso leaves (optional) 1 myoga (optional) 2 Tbs dried sakura shrimp (optional) Handful of nori strips Method  1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. The water should taste salty like seawater. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the spaghetti. It should take 7-8 minutes to cook. 2. In the meantime, get the sauce ready. Slit the sacs of mentaiko down the middle with a sharp knife and scrape out the eggs with a small spoon into a small bowl. Add the butter, mayonnaise, Shichimi Togarashi and the vinegar. Mix well with a spoon and set aside. 3. Chop finely the spring onions. If using shiso leaves, snip off the stems, roll into a tight tube and slice finely crosswise. Slice the myoga on the diagonal, if using. 4. Toast the dried sakura shrimp lightly in a non-stick pan, set aside. 5. When the pasta is al dente, drain into a colander, shake it a couple of times to get rid of excess water and return the noodles to the empty cooking pot. Add the mentaiko sauce, spring onions, shiso leaves and myoga. Mix well with a pair of tongs. 6. Divide the pasta between two serving bowls, top each with sakura prawns and nori strips, serve immediately. This article was first published in The Sunday Times on May 25, 2008.