Spaghetti with sea urchin, zucchini, caper and fel fel

This Maltese spaghetti dish blends the briny richness of sea urchin with zucchini and the sharp bite of capers. Infused with coastal Mediterranean influence and a touch of fiery fel fel, it’s bold and vibrant.

Credit: Josh Martin

• serves

  10

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 400 g (one packet) spaghetti 
• 20 g salt

Caper and fel fel gremolata

• 45 ml olive oil 
• 50 g butter
• 50 g day old-breadcrumbs (can substitute with fresh breadcrumbs) 
• 5 g whole fennel seeds
• 30 g fried capers (substitute with unfried capers) 
• zest of ½ lemon
• 20 g salt
• 10 g fennel fronds, sliced 
• 40 g fel fel chilli paste 

Sea urchin and zucchini sauce

• 45 ml olive oil
• 60 g shallots, finely diced (substitute with 80 g onion) 
• 20 g garlic, finely sliced 
• 250 g zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 cups pasta water 
• 100 g of peas
• 6 whole sea urchins 
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 15 leaves mint, finely sliced 

Instructions

1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add in salt and pasta. Cook until al dente and drain, reserving the pasta cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, for the gremolata, in a separate frying pan, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom by ½ cm. Add butter and let it melt, then add the breadcrumbs, stirring to toast evenly.
3. Once the breadcrumbs have toasted, stir in the fennel seeds, capers, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Add the chopped fennel fronds, give everything a quick toss, then stir in the fel fel, remove from heat and set gremolata aside.
4. For the sauce, into a large sauté pan add 45 ml of olive oil, shallots and garlic over a medium-low heat. Cook the shallots and garlic without browning, just enough to release their flavour, then add sliced zucchini and sauté for a few minutes.
5. Add the two cups of pasta water into the pan, allowing the zucchini to cook through, then add the peas.
6. Add the sea urchins and gently stir and toss through, trying not to crumble the sea urchins. Bring back to the boil, until the sauce thickens.
7. Add pasta into the pan with the sea urchin and zucchini mixture. Add cracked pepper, lemon juice and fresh mint and stir gently to combine. Add a little more pasta water, if needed.
8. To serve, transfer the pasta in a deep sharing bowl, covering the top with the gremolata.

Watch how to make this recipe on Episode 3 of Shane Delia’s Malta, streaming free on SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Shane Delia's Malta

series • 

Travel

PG

series • 

Travel

PG