Happy to hear you enjoyed this! I'm also lactose intolerant but that aside, I actually like this version better than the one with cream.

In reply to Liv.

Delicious recipe! The use of butter and olive oil really replicate a creamy flavor for this mentaiko pasta. The saltiness of the mentaiko is more than sufficient. A great alternative dish for someone who's lactose intolerant, like myself.

Hi Liv, I'm not familiar with canned cod roe, but after googling it my hunch is that it's not going to work very well. Mentaiko is cured with salt and spices but it has not been cooked. In order to can something it has to be thoroughly cooked, so that's the first difference. Mentaiko is usually cured with salt first before being brined in a mixture that usually includes ingredients like dashi, sake, and powdered asian chilies. My guess is that the canned ones don't include any of these ingredients so the flavoring will also be quite different. I'm not sure where you live, but have you tried looking online?