
Sea urchins are a delicacy in Sardinia, between January and March you can buy them on the fishermen’s stalls by the beach in Alghero and they appear on restaurant menus as the popular Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare. I like to eat them raw straight from the shell with a teaspoon. If you like seafood, then sea urchins eggs are the best you can have. The taste is unmistakable. It’s a perfect balance between the sweet of the seafood and the salty taste of the sea.
To make spaghetti ai ricci di mare for 4 people you need
400-450 gr. of spaghetti
300 gr. sea urchin eggs
1 clove of garlic
parsley
extra virgin olive oil
1 red chilly
The preparation of this dish is very easy and can be done while the pasta is boiling.
Boil the spaghetti in plenty of salty water. Fry the garlic and chilly in extra virgin olive oil. Chop the parsley and drain the pasta. Keep a cup of water to add in when mixing with the oil.
Put the spaghetti in the oil with the garlic; add the sea urchin eggs and mix. The heat from the pan will melt the sea urchin eggs giving a smooth consistency. Add fresh parsley and serve.
There are strict rules about the time of the year, the daily amount and the size of the sea urchins that vary from region to region. In Sardinia it is possible to catch them from the 1st of November through to the 4th of May, there is a daily limit to 50 sea urchins and the size is regulated too. Sea urchins must be at least 7 cm in diameter including the spikes.





