Want to Try Sea Urchin in Boston? Order These Italian Pasta Dishes
Although the edible gonad of the spiny shellfish has long been adored by sushi fans for its velvety texture and concentrated “ocean” flavor, lately it’s turning up in all sorts of contexts: most notably, Italian pasta dishes. Below, three of our current favorites, all of which die-hard fans should try immediately. For the urchin-nervous, we’ve indexed each option according to immersion level—from full blob to just a taste.
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Photograph by Emily Sotomayor
Bar Mezzana
Dish: Spaghetti with crabmeat, sea urchin, and hot chilies.
Immersion Level: Moderate blob
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Photograph by Emily Sotomayor
Porto
Dish: Lobster raviolo with curry leaf, fresh peas, and urchin-thickened butter sauce.
Immersion Level: Just a taste
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Photograph by Emily Sotomayor
Waypoint
Dish: Bucatini with smoked egg yolk, pecorino, bottarga, and hulking lobes of uncut urchin.
Immersion Level: Full blob
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