Bottarga substitutes
Bottarga substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Anchovy plus grated pecorino romano
For every 1 tablespoon grated bottarga, use 1 mashed anchovy fillet or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste, plus 1 tablespoon grated pecorino
The best everyday substitute for bottarga is one mashed anchovy fillet, or a teaspoon of anchovy paste, plus a tablespoon of finely grated pecorino romano for every tablespoon of grated bottarga. That covers the two things bottarga actually contributes, salt and concentrated marine umami, plus a little richness. Finely ground dried shrimp or crushed bonito flakes also work. Be clear though: there is no true substitute. Bottarga is briny, faintly bitter and waxy on the tongue in a way nothing else is, and the anchovy and cheese route makes a very good pasta that is not the same dish.
- Verdict —
- You'll taste it
- Best for —
- spaghetti and linguine
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of bottarga | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchovy plus grated pecorino romanospaghetti and linguine | For every 1 tablespoon grated bottarga, use 1 mashed anchovy fillet or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste, plus 1 tablespoon grated pecorinoYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 2 | Dried shrimp or dried scallops, finely groundfinishing pasta | Same amount by volumeTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), crushed finefinishing pasta | Same amount by volumePlus a small pinch of saltTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Colatura di alici or a few drops of fish sauce plus pecorinopasta with oil and garlic | For every 1 tablespoon grated bottarga, use 1 teaspoon colatura or ½ teaspoon fish sauce, plus 1 tablespoon grated pecorinoYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Grated pecorino romano with lemon zestpasta | Same amount by volumePlus the finely grated zest of a quarter lemon per tablespoonYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 6 | Anchovy pangrattato (toasted breadcrumbs with anchovy)spaghetti and linguine | 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs plus 1 anchovy fillet per tablespoon of bottargaYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Anchovy plus grated pecorino romano
different taste and texture
The most useful swap and the one an Italian cook would actually reach for. Melt the anchovy into warm olive oil so it dissolves, then finish the dish with the cheese off the heat. It is markedly fishier and sharper than bottarga, without the faint bitterness or the waxy coating on the palate, and there is no shaved texture on top.
- Best for
- spaghetti and linguine, pasta with garlic and oil, dressing for vegetables, bruschetta
Do not let the anchovy fry or it turns harsh. Keep the oil at a bare shimmer and stir until the fillet disappears, about a minute. Cut the salt everywhere else in the dish.
Dried shrimp or dried scallops, finely ground
different taste, similar texture
Salt-dried seafood ground to a powder gives you both the sprinkle-on texture and the concentrated sea-savoury hit, which makes it structurally the closest thing to bottarga you can buy cheaply. The flavour is sweeter and distinctly shrimpy or scallop-like rather than the mineral, roe-ish taste of bottarga.
- Best for
- finishing pasta, sprinkling over rice or noodles, seasoning vegetables, when you have an Asian grocery nearby
Grind them in a spice grinder or pound in a mortar until fine. Toast briefly in a dry pan first to wake up the aroma, and use a light hand because they are very salty.
Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), crushed fine
different taste, similar texture
Crumble the flakes to a powder between your fingers or in a mortar. This gets the savoury depth and even the scattering texture, but the flavour is smoky and dry rather than briny and rich, so the dish tastes more like a Japanese seasoning than a Sardinian one. It also lacks bottarga's oiliness, so add extra olive oil.
- Best for
- finishing pasta, seasoning vegetables and eggs, rice dishes
Bonito flakes are much less salty than bottarga, so season the dish separately. Crush them fine or they will sit on top as papery shavings rather than melting into the sauce.
Colatura di alici or a few drops of fish sauce plus pecorino
different taste and texture
Colatura, the Italian anchovy liquid, is essentially the umami concentrate you are missing, and fish sauce is the same idea from Southeast Asia. Because it is liquid, it thins the sauce slightly and cannot give any texture. Fish sauce is noticeably funkier and more pungent, so use less than you think.
- Best for
- pasta with oil and garlic, dressings, seafood pasta, quick sauces
Add it off the heat, at the end, or the volatile aroma cooks away and only the salt remains. Salt the pasta water lightly to compensate.
Grated pecorino romano with lemon zest
different taste and texture
The right choice when you cannot get anything fishy or do not want to. Pecorino delivers the salt and a savoury, faintly sharp bite, and the lemon zest mimics the light bitterness and citrus edge that makes bottarga taste bright rather than merely salty. It is not fishy at all, so the dish reads as a good lemon and cheese pasta.
- Best for
- pasta, vegetarian versions of bottarga dishes, salads, cooking for people who dislike fish
Aged parmesan works the same way but is sweeter and nuttier; pecorino is closer because of the sheep-milk sharpness. Add a good grind of black pepper.
Anchovy pangrattato (toasted breadcrumbs with anchovy)
different taste and texture
Questions
5 questionsIs bottarga the same as caviar?
No, despite the nickname Sardinian caviar. Caviar is loose, unpressed, lightly salted sturgeon eggs served in soft beads. Bottarga is the entire roe sac, salted and dried for weeks until it is firm enough to grate, and it is used as a seasoning rather than eaten by the spoonful. The two are not interchangeable in any recipe.
Can I use anchovies instead of bottarga?
Yes, and it is the best practical substitute. Melt one anchovy fillet, or a teaspoon of anchovy paste, into warm olive oil for every tablespoon of bottarga the recipe wants, and add a tablespoon of grated pecorino at the end. It will be fishier and sharper and will not give you the shaved amber flecks on top, but the salty, savoury backbone of the dish will be there.
Can I just leave bottarga out?
Yes, honestly, more easily than most expensive ingredients. Spaghetti with garlic, good olive oil, lemon zest, parsley and toasted breadcrumbs is a genuinely good dish on its own. What you lose is the savoury depth and the salt, so season more assertively and add something umami-rich, even a spoon of grated pecorino, so the plate does not taste thin.
What is the difference between bottarga di muggine and bottarga di tonno?
Bottarga di muggine is grey mullet roe, the Sardinian style, and it is smaller, paler amber, more delicate and more expensive. Bottarga di tonno is tuna roe, mostly Sicilian, in bigger darker blocks with a stronger, meatier, more assertively fishy flavour. If a recipe does not specify, mullet is the safer assumption; tuna bottarga is better shaved than grated.
Does bottarga need to be cooked or refrigerated?
It is already fully cured and needs no cooking. Keep it wrapped tightly in the fridge, where a whole block will last many months; once you have started grating a piece, wrap the cut face well because it dries and hardens quickly. It can be frozen, though the texture becomes slightly crumblier.
Tips for substituting bottarga
6 tips- Never cook bottarga. Grate it over the finished dish off the heat, or at most warm it briefly in olive oil away from the flame; direct heat turns it grainy and bitter and drives off the aroma you paid a lot of money for.
- Peel the thin wax or membrane off the block before grating. Producers often coat the outside to stop it drying out, and it will not grate or melt.
- Use less than you think: about 5 to 8 g per person is right for a plate of pasta, roughly a heaped teaspoon of gratings. Bottarga is very salty, so salt the pasta water lightly and do not add salt to the sauce until after the bottarga goes in.
- A microplane is the right tool for the mullet roe and a vegetable peeler for tuna bottarga if you want shavings. Grating over a warm plate lets the fat soften slightly so it clings to the pasta instead of sitting on top.
- It needs fat and acid to show at its best. Good olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and chopped parsley are the classic partners, and without the oil the roe tastes dry and salty rather than rich.
- Wrapped tightly in parchment and then plastic, a block keeps for months in the fridge, though it hardens over time; the harder it gets the finer you should grate it.