Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare (Italian Sea Urchin Pasta with Shrimp, Scallops, and Calamari)
Updated: Sep 14
Spaghetti ai ricci di mare captures the saline sweetness and creamy texture of fresh sea urchin. Chef Marco Porceddu’s version builds a complete seafood sauce with shrimp, scallops, calamari, leek, garlic, and dry white wine, then folds most of the sea urchin into the pasta away from strong heat. The remaining roe is reserved for the final garnish.
The recipe is fast once cooking begins. Seafood can become rubbery in minutes, spaghetti must remain al dente, and sea urchin loses its delicate aroma when boiled. Precise preparation is therefore more important than a long cooking time. Keep the seafood cold, cut it evenly, measure every ingredient, and bring the serving bowls to the work area before the pasta enters the water.
Recipe Overview
Region: Italian coastal cuisine
Yield: 4 servings
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: About 45 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Key Technique: Off heat sea urchin emulsification
Best Served: Immediately in warm shallow bowls
Ingredients
• 12 oz dried spaghetti (340 g)
• 5 oz cleaned fresh sea urchin roe (140 g)
• 4 oz peeled and deveined shrimp (115 g)
• 4 oz dry sea scallops, side muscles removed (115 g)
• 4 oz cleaned calamari tubes and tentacles (115 g)
• 1 small leek, white and pale green parts only, finely sliced (about 100 g)
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1/2 cup dry Italian white wine (120 ml)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (45 ml)
• 1 cup hot starchy pasta water, reserved as needed (240 ml)
• Fine sea salt, as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
Purchase cleaned sea urchin roe from a reputable licensed seafood seller and keep it well chilled until the final stage. If opening live sea urchins is unfamiliar, ask the fishmonger to prepare the edible roe. The aroma should be clean and marine, never strongly fishy or sour. Use the roe promptly and do not leave it at room temperature while the other ingredients are prepared.
Preparation
Step 1
Set up the entire recipe before applying heat. Keep the sea urchin, shrimp, scallops, and calamari refrigerated while measuring the remaining ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to the stove, slice the leek finely, mince the garlic, and measure the white wine and olive oil. Place a heatproof cup beside the pasta pot for reserving starchy water. Warm four shallow bowls gently. The seafood pan should be broad enough to hold the spaghetti later without crowding. Do not grate cheese for this dish. Sea urchin already provides richness and a concentrated marine flavor that cheese would obscure.
Step 2
Pat the shrimp and scallops dry. Slice the calamari tubes into even rings and keep the tentacles whole if small. Cut large scallops into halves only when necessary so the seafood cooks at a similar rate. Inspect the cleaned sea urchin roe and divide it carefully. Reserve about 20 percent in a small chilled bowl for garnishing the completed plates. Place the remaining roe in a larger bowl and mash it lightly with a fork until creamy while preserving some texture. Keep both portions cold. Separating the garnish now prevents accidental exposure to the hot pan and ensures every serving receives a visible taste of fresh sea urchin.
Step 3
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml) in the wide pan over medium low heat. Add the sliced leek with a small pinch of salt and cook gently until soft and translucent without browning. Stir in the garlic for about 30 seconds. Raise the heat to medium, add the calamari, shrimp, and scallops, and cook only until the seafood begins turning opaque. Pour in the white wine and let the alcohol aroma dissipate while the liquid reduces by about half. Remove the pan from heat if the seafood reaches tenderness before the pasta is ready. Overcooking at this stage creates rubbery calamari, dry shrimp, and firm scallops that cannot be repaired later.
Step 4
Salt the boiling water moderately and cook the spaghetti until about 2 minutes before al dente. Reserve at least 1 cup (240 ml) of cloudy pasta water. Transfer the spaghetti directly to the seafood pan and finish over medium heat with one small ladle of pasta water, tossing until the sauce clings to the strands. Remove the pan completely from direct heat. Let the strongest bubbling stop, then fold in the larger portion of mashed sea urchin and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml). Toss continuously, adding pasta water one tablespoon at a time, until the roe forms a glossy coral colored emulsion. Do not boil after the sea urchin enters the pan.
Step 5
Taste one complete forkful containing pasta and seafood before adjusting salt. Sea urchin is naturally saline, and reduced pasta water can concentrate seasoning. Twirl equal portions into the warm shallow bowls and distribute the shrimp, scallops, and calamari evenly. Spoon any remaining emulsion over the spaghetti, then place the reserved fresh sea urchin roe on top of each portion. Finish with a restrained turn of black pepper only if it improves the balance. Serve immediately. The sauce should shine on the strands without pooling, the seafood should remain tender, and the fresh garnish should preserve the pure sweet marine flavor of the roe.
Professional Technique
Sea urchin is treated as an emulsion ingredient rather than a conventional cooked sauce. Its natural richness blends with olive oil, concentrated seafood juices, and starchy pasta water. The starch helps the mixture cling to spaghetti, while movement disperses the roe through the liquid. Direct boiling can tighten the proteins, dull the fresh aroma, and separate the sauce.
Control the pan in two distinct stages. First, cook the leek and seafood with enough heat to develop aroma and reduce the wine. Second, finish the pasta with water and pan juices. Only after the spaghetti reaches the correct texture should the pan leave direct heat and receive the sea urchin.
Cut seafood to comparable cooking dimensions and add it to a broad pan so it does not steam in a crowded pile. The goal is tenderness, not a dark crust. Dry surfaces help the pieces cook cleanly, while short contact with the reduced wine gives flavor without prolonged simmering.
Keep the final sauce looser than it appears necessary in the pan. Spaghetti continues to absorb moisture between stove and table. A sauce that looks perfectly tight before plating may become dry by the first bite. Add pasta water gradually and stop when the strands move freely but no liquid collects beneath them.
Chef Tips
• Use the freshest cleaned sea urchin available and keep it cold until the final minute.
• Reserve the finishing portion before cooking so it cannot be added accidentally to the hot pan.
• Pat shrimp, scallops, and calamari dry before they enter the oil.
• Soften the leek without browning. Its sweetness should support the sea, not introduce a roasted flavor.
• Reduce the wine before finishing the pasta so raw alcohol does not remain in the sauce.
• Remove the pan from direct heat before folding in the sea urchin.
• Reserve more pasta water than expected because the sauce tightens quickly during tossing.
• Serve in warm bowls and bring guests to the table before the final emulsion.
Common Mistakes
• Buying sea urchin with a strong sour or unpleasant odor.
• Leaving cleaned roe at room temperature while preparing the other ingredients.
• Using a crowded pan that makes the seafood release water and overcook.
• Simmering shrimp, scallops, and calamari for the entire pasta cooking time.
• Failing to reduce the white wine before adding the spaghetti.
• Adding sea urchin over high heat or allowing the finished sauce to boil.
• Salting before tasting the naturally saline roe and concentrated pasta water.
• Adding cheese, cream, or heavy garnishes that hide the flavor of the sea urchin.
• Holding the completed pasta before service and allowing the emulsion to dry.
Wine Pairing
Choose dry coastal Italian whites with bright acidity, saline character, and restrained oak. The wine should refresh the creamy sea urchin while respecting the sweetness of shrimp, scallops, and calamari.
Vermentino di Gallura DOCG: Mediterranean herbs, citrus, and a saline mineral finish make this the most direct regional style of pairing.
Etna Bianco DOC: Carricante led acidity and volcanic salinity complement sea urchin without covering it.
Grillo Sicilia DOC: Citrus, herbs, and moderate body follow the mixed seafood and white wine sauce.
Gavi DOCG: Its lemon, white flower, and almond profile gives a clean contrast to the creamy roe.
Verdicchio di Matelica DOC: Firm acidity, mineral structure, and a savory almond finish support the pasta’s marine depth.
Storage & Reheating
This pasta is designed for immediate service. Sea urchin aroma fades quickly, seafood becomes firm when reheated, and the emulsion tightens as spaghetti absorbs moisture. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a shallow airtight container and use within 1 day. Do not store the dish at room temperature.
If reheating is necessary, use a covered wide pan over very low heat with one or two tablespoons of water. Stir gently only until warmed through and do not allow the sauce to boil. Do not add a new raw garnish to old reheated pasta. Discard seafood that has developed an unpleasant odor or has not been kept consistently cold.
Mise en place can be completed shortly before service, but the seafood and roe must remain refrigerated. Slice leek and garlic in advance, measure the wine, and warm the bowls. Cook the seafood, spaghetti, and sea urchin emulsion only when ready to eat. Freezing the completed dish is not recommended.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 4 servings: 610 calories, 32 g protein, 72 g carbohydrates, 21 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 4 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 760 mg sodium, and 165 mg cholesterol.
Values are estimates and vary with the exact seafood size, natural salinity of the sea urchin, the amount of pasta water retained, and the quantity of olive oil remaining in the pan.
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