Spicy Miso Crab Carbonara

13 May

While scrolling through Chrissy Teigen’s Instagram Stories, I came across a quick pasta that had my stomach growling instantly. Though I’ve never been a fan of carbonara, the miso paste with chili garlic sauce piqued my attention.

In the COVID spirit of use-what-you-have, my mind blended her Spicy Miso Carbonara recipe with Bestia’s uni pasta (the stuff of food porn dreams). I neither had bacon or uni in my fridge, but I did have some leftover crab meat and Dungeness crab with loads of briny back fat.

With all credit to Chrissy Teigen, here’s my take on a super umami comfort overload pasta recipe:

Finished plate of fettuccine pasta with crab and shrimp garnished with parsley

Dungeness Spicy Miso Carbonara

Fettuccini, Spaghetti, Bucatini, whatever ya got
1/2 onion, minced
2 TBS Olive Oil
1 TBS Chili Garlic Sauce (or more, if you like spicier)
2 TBS White Miso Paste
3 Eggs
Crab fat deliciousness (maybe you could sub anchovies?)
Crab, Shrimp (cook first)
Spinach
1/4 C Parmesan (all I had left, you could prob use more)
S + P
Parsley for garnish

Ingredients for pasta including chili garlic sauce, miso paste, eggs, spinach, Dungeness crab fat, shrimp, crab meat, and diced onion

Start with a super salty pot of water, and bring to a boil. You’ll need the pasta water for the paste sauce and pasta coming together. Scoop out a few cups of pasta water before draining the pasta.

Mix the chili garlic and miso paste with a couple tablespoons of the hot pasta water until well combined and smooth, then add eggs and beat. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large pan and soften the onions. Toss in the crab fat, if using, otherwise anchovies or whatever else. (Chrissy Teigen used traditional carbonara bacon, which I didn’t have thawed). I also added the cooked crab meat and shrimp to warm through.

Cooking onions, Dungeness crab fat, crab meat and shrimp in a pan — Might not be pretty, but dang this is good.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. I initially though the saltiness from the crab and miso paste would be sufficient, but as always, adding a little salt enhances the flavor. Don’t skip this, but taste first.

I didn’t feel like making a salad and had no-veggie guilt so tossed in some fresh spinach (courtesy my Number One Sons local produce delivery of The Farm at Sunnyside goodies) to wilt.

Turn your heat to medium low so as not to scramble the eggs, and toss in the pasta, miso-chili garlic-egg mix, and parm with a cup or so of the reserved pasta water.