Recipes

Crab Carbonara with Meyer Lemon, Black Pepper, and Parsley

Joel Huff

Azul at the Mandarin Oriental Miami

Joel Huff dresses up a classic carbonara with Dungeness crabmeat and Meyer lemon, which give the dish extra vibrancy.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced pancetta
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 whole eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 1 pinch Old Bay seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 pound lump crabmeat
  • Zest of 3 Meyer lemons, 1 lemon reserved
  • 1 pound fresh or 11 ounces dry spaghetti
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup toasted bread crumbs

Method

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté just until beginning to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until the shallots are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk together the eggs, Parmesan, parsley, Old Bay, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the contents of the sauté pan and whisk. Add the crabmeat, Meyer lemon zest, and the juice from one of the lemons. Whisk to combine.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and immediately add the hot pasta to the bowl containing the egg, cheese, pancetta and crab. Add the butter, then toss the pasta quickly and thoroughly to make sure all of the strands are coated and that the ingredients are well combined. To serve, sprinkle toasted bread crumbs over the pasta.

Yield

4 servings