Italian Sea Urchin Pasta | Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare

Oct 24, 2019
10 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare: Italian Sea Urchin Pasta with Shrimp, Scallops and Calamari

Spaghetti ai ricci di mare bring the flavor of the sea into a pasta sauce that must be handled with restraint. Chef Marco Porceddu’s original recipe combines sea urchin with shrimp, scallops, calamari, leek, garlic and white wine, then reserves part of the sea urchin for the final garnish. The recipe is quick once every ingredient is prepared. Seafood cooks in minutes, spaghetti must remain al dente and sea urchin loses its delicate character if exposed to high heat for too long. Organization is therefore more important than complexity. This expanded version preserves the original proportions and seafood combination while clarifying safe handling, shell preparation, timing and sauce texture. If opening live sea urchins is unfamiliar, ask a reputable fishmonger for cleaned sea urchin roe rather than improvising.

The Story

For consistent professional results, work in measured stages and keep the principal ingredient at the center of the preparation. Taste and adjust seasoning at each major stage rather than only at the end.

Ingredients

For the recipe

4 live sea urchins, or an equivalent quantity of cleaned sea urchin roe from a trusted seafood seller
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
One half cup leeks, cleaned and finely sliced
8 large shrimp, cleaned and chopped
8 scallops, cleaned and sliced
1 cup calamari, cleaned and cut into fine strips
1 cup dry white wine
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
4 portions spaghetti, or another pasta shape of your choice
Extra virgin olive oil as needed, used in the original method although not quantified in its ingredient list
Why Three Additional Seafood Ingredients
Shrimp, scallops and calamari do not merely make the dish more luxurious. Each contributes a different texture. Shrimp gives firm sweetness, scallop offers tenderness and calamari adds a clean elastic bite when cooked correctly.
Their quantities should support the sea urchin rather than turn the pan into a mixed seafood stew. Cut each ingredient so it appears throughout the four portions, then distribute carefully during plating.
Recipe at a Glance
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: 1 out of 5 after the seafood has been cleaned
Serves: 4
Buy Seafood From a Trusted Source
Sea urchins and shellfish should come from a reputable seller operating within local harvesting and food safety rules. Do not collect sea urchins casually, since regulations, protected areas and seasonal limits vary by location.
Tell the fishmonger how the sea urchin will be used, especially because the original presentation reserves some for the top with minimal heat. Raw or lightly cooked seafood always carries risk, and freshness reduces but does not eliminate it.
Understanding the Sea Urchin
The edible orange or golden lobes commonly called roe are the sea urchin’s reproductive tissue. Their flavor can be sweet, saline, mineral and creamy, with intensity that varies according to species, season and origin.
Good sea urchin should smell clean and marine, not strongly fishy or sour. The lobes should retain shape and color. If using a prepared tray, keep it cold and follow the seller’s use by guidance.
Opening Live Sea Urchins Safely
Live sea urchins have sharp spines and require protective gloves, stable tools and experience. Chef Porceddu’s original instruction opens them horizontally, removes the roe carefully and cleans it. Work over a bowl or sink that can be sanitized afterward.
Use sturdy kitchen shears or a tool designed for sea urchins. Never hold the shell in an unprotected palm or force a slipping knife through it. If the task feels unsafe, stop and purchase professionally cleaned roe.
Cleaning the Roe
Lift each lobe gently with a small spoon, separating it from dark internal material and shell fragments. The original recipe mentions rinsing under running water while holding each piece carefully.
Use the lightest cleaning possible because strong fresh water can damage texture and wash away flavor. A brief rinse in very cold lightly salted water is often gentler. Drain on a clean cold plate and refrigerate immediately.
Reserve Twenty Percent for Finishing
Divide the cleaned sea urchin into two portions. About eighty percent will enter the sauce, while twenty percent remains for the top of the finished pasta, following the original recipe.
Choose the most intact attractive lobes for finishing. Keep them covered and cold. The portion for the pan can include pieces that broke during cleaning because they will dissolve into the sauce.
Clean the Shrimp
Remove shells and digestive veins from the shrimp, then rinse only if necessary and dry thoroughly. Cut each shrimp into pieces large enough to remain visible after cooking.
Dry seafood sears and sautés more effectively than wet seafood. Excess water cools the pan, delays cooking and dilutes the wine sauce. Keep the prepared shrimp refrigerated until the pan is ready.
Prepare the Scallops
Remove the small firm side muscle if it is still attached to each scallop. Pat the scallops dry and slice them evenly so all pieces cook at the same rate.
Scallops become firm and rubbery when overcooked. Their slices should enter the pan only when the other ingredients and pasta timing are coordinated. Keep them cold until that moment.
Prepare the Calamari
Clean the calamari or ask the fishmonger to do it. Cut the body into fine strips, creating the julienne specified by Chef Porceddu. Tentacles may be included when cleaned and cut into manageable pieces.
Calamari is tender when cooked very briefly or for a long braise. This is a quick pasta sauce, so the strips should spend only a short time over heat. Thin, even cutting supports that result.
Wash the Leeks Carefully
Leeks can hold grit between their layers. Slice them lengthwise, rinse thoroughly and then measure one half cup of the pale tender portion. Dry before slicing finely.
Leek contributes mild sweetness without competing with the sea. Fine slices soften quickly during the short cooking time and integrate with garlic and olive oil.
Slice the Garlic
Cut four garlic cloves into thin, even slices. Pieces of similar thickness cook at the same speed, reducing the chance that one burns while another remains raw.
Garlic should perfume the oil and remain pale gold at most. Burnt garlic becomes bitter and can dominate sea urchin immediately. Keep the wine measured and ready in case the pan needs to be cooled.
Bring Pasta Water to a Boil
Use a large pot of water so four portions of spaghetti can move freely. Salt the water, but remember that seafood and sea urchin already carry salinity. The final correction should happen only after sauce and pasta meet.
Bring the water to a full boil before adding spaghetti. Stir during the first minute to prevent sticking. Set a timer for slightly less than the package recommendation because the pasta will finish in the seafood pan.
Begin the Sauce
Heat a wide pan over medium heat and add enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the base lightly. Add sliced garlic and leeks, cooking until fragrant and softened without deep browning.
The pan must be wide enough to hold all four portions of pasta later. A crowded narrow pan steams seafood and makes it difficult to toss spaghetti evenly.
Sauté the Calamari, Shrimp and Scallops
Raise the heat toward medium high. Add calamari, shrimp and scallops, following the original method. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
Move the seafood through the aromatic oil so surfaces cook evenly. Work quickly. Shrimp should begin turning opaque, scallops should lose their raw translucence and calamari should remain tender.
Deglaze With White Wine
Add the cup of white wine and allow it to bubble for a few minutes. The wine lifts flavors from the pan and contributes acidity that balances the richness of sea urchin.
Use a dry wine that tastes clean enough to drink. Avoid heavily sweet or strongly oaked styles. Let the sharp raw alcohol aroma soften, but do not reduce until the pan becomes dry.
Add Eighty Percent of the Sea Urchin
Lower the heat before adding the larger sea urchin portion. Fold it into the wine and olive oil so some lobes dissolve and create a creamy, golden sauce.
Sea urchin does not need aggressive cooking. Excessive heat can dull its sweetness and make the sauce grainy. Keep the pan gentle and prepare to add pasta as soon as the texture becomes cohesive.
Transfer the Spaghetti While Al Dente
Move the spaghetti directly from the pot to the seafood pan when it remains slightly firmer than you want to serve it. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining the rest.
Add a small splash of starchy water and toss gently. The water helps olive oil, wine and sea urchin bind to the spaghetti. Add more only if needed because a thin sauce will lose intensity.
Finish Without Breaking the Seafood
Turn the spaghetti through the sauce rather than stirring aggressively. Shrimp, scallop slices and calamari should remain recognizable. Continue only until the pasta reaches al dente and the sauce coats every strand.
Remove from heat before the pan appears dry. Pasta continues absorbing liquid during plating. Taste and correct salt or pepper cautiously, remembering that the reserved sea urchin will add another saline note.
Serving in the Sea Urchin Shell
Chef Porceddu suggests serving the pasta in cleaned sea urchin shells. This creates a dramatic connection between ingredient and plate, but the shell must be thoroughly emptied, rinsed and inspected for sharp fragments.
A shell holds only a small amount of spaghetti, so it works best as a tasting presentation or as a decorative element on a larger plate. Never allow sharp spines to create a hazard for guests.
A Safer Plate Presentation
For ordinary service, use warm shallow bowls. Twist each portion of spaghetti into the center, then distribute shrimp, scallops and calamari evenly.
Place the reserved sea urchin lobes on top after the pan is off the heat. A final thread of olive oil can add aroma, but avoid cheese and strong herbs that would cover the marine flavor.
Using Professionally Cleaned Sea Urchin Roe
Prepared sea urchin roe is the practical choice for many home cooks. It avoids sharp shells, shortens preparation and makes quantity easier to judge. Buy it as close to cooking time as possible and transport it cold.
Inspect the tray before use. The lobes should be distinct rather than swimming in excessive liquid. Keep the package covered in the coldest part of the refrigerator and open it only after all other ingredients are ready.
The Sauce Is a Gentle Emulsion
The desired creaminess comes from sea urchin, olive oil and starchy pasta water, not dairy. Gentle tossing disperses fat through the liquid and allows the sauce to cling to spaghetti.
Add pasta water by the spoonful and watch the surface. A glossy coating is the goal. If the sauce pools thinly under the pasta, keep tossing briefly. If it looks tight, loosen it before removing the pan from heat.
A Timing Plan for the Final Ten Minutes
Start spaghetti before the seafood pan if the package requires more than ten minutes. When the pasta is halfway cooked, soften leek and garlic. Add seafood as the spaghetti approaches the final few minutes.
Wine and sea urchin should enter while pasta remains slightly underdone. This sequence brings everything to readiness together. The plan prevents both a cold sauce waiting for spaghetti and seafood cooking while the pasta still needs time.
Why Cheese Is Usually Unnecessary
The original recipe does not add grated cheese. Sea urchin already provides creamy texture and deep savory flavor, while the shellfish contribute sweetness. A strong aged cheese would blur their distinctions.
If the sauce seems to need richness, improve the emulsion with pasta water and a final thread of olive oil. Technical correction preserves marine clarity better than covering the problem with another ingredient.
Portioning for Four Guests
Divide the seafood visually in the pan before plating. Four similar groups help ensure that one bowl does not receive most of the scallops while another contains only pasta. Twirl spaghetti first, then place seafood where it remains visible.
Reserve exactly four attractive sea urchin accents if possible, one for each portion. Fair distribution is a small act of hospitality and makes the presentation feel deliberate.
Why This Pasta Should Not Wait
Spaghetti continues absorbing sauce after it leaves the pan, and delicate seafood continues cooking from retained heat. The dish therefore declines quickly if held for late guests or photographed for too long.
Bring everyone to the table before the final toss. Warm the bowls and serve immediately. If timing is uncertain, complete the cleaning and chopping in advance but postpone all cooking until the meal can proceed without interruption.
Final Sensory Checkpoints
The finished spaghetti should look glossy rather than oily. Garlic and leek should be aromatic but not visibly burnt. Shrimp should be opaque, scallops tender, calamari easy to bite and the sea urchin sauce smooth.
Taste should move from sweet marine richness to wine acidity and gentle garlic. Salt should register as seasoning, not as a separate flavor. The reserved roe on top should remain cool enough to provide contrast with the warm pasta.
Clean the Work Area Immediately
After preparing sea urchin and raw shellfish, wash knives, boards, bowls and the sink with hot soapy water, then sanitize appropriate surfaces. Replace towels that contacted seafood and wash hands before touching cooked pasta or serving dishes.
Discard shells and internal material in a sealed bag according to local waste practices. A clean work area prevents cross contact and keeps the final minutes focused on pasta rather than on tools contaminated during early preparation.
If Sea Urchin Is Unavailable
Do not replace sea urchin with a flavored paste and keep the same title. The roe is the defining ingredient. If it is unavailable, prepare a separate seafood spaghetti with shrimp, scallops and calamari, then return to this recipe when fresh sea urchin can be purchased safely.
The Zafferano & Co. Perspective
Chef Marco Porceddu’s spaghetti ai ricci di mare is an abundant Italian seafood pasta. Sea urchin provides the defining flavor, while shrimp, scallops and calamari give texture and substance.
Keep the seafood cold, cook it briefly, lower the heat for the sea urchin and finish al dente spaghetti directly in the pan. Reserve the best roe for the top. The final dish should taste marine, creamy and fresh, with white wine and olive oil supporting the sea rather than hiding it.

Reserve Twenty Percent for Finishing

Keep every sauce or component slightly looser than its final target consistency, since it continues to thicken as parts come together.

Prepare the Calamari

Have every ingredient prepped and measured before starting to cook — this dish moves quickly once assembly begins.

Begin the Sauce

Taste each component on its own before combining, so the finished dish is balanced rather than relying on the last step to fix seasoning.

Finish Without Breaking the Seafood

The most common mistake is rushing a step that needs time to develop flavor — give each stage the time it needs.

Why Cheese Is Usually Unnecessary

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days; reheat gently, loosening with a little stock or water if needed.