Clam and Crab Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 dozen top neck clams
- 1lb jumbo lump crab meat
- 1lb spaghetti
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 8 oz bacon, sliced (tip- freeze for one hour before slicing to make it easier)
- 8 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1 egg + 5 yolks
- 1.5 cup Romano cheese (or Parmesan or pecorino)
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a wide bottomed sauce pot, bring 1 cup of water to a simmer. Add clams and cover to steam until all clams are open, ~5 minutes.
- Remove 6 clams from shell and chop roughly, reserve other 6 in shell.
- Remove clams from pot, fill 3/4 way up with more water (don’t drain, reserve clam juice in pot). Bring to boil.
- Season water with 1/4 cup salt and 1/4 cup evoo (this will help keep the pasta from sticking together)
- Add pasta and cook to al dente based on box instructions and/or personal preference. Reserve 2 cups pasta water, drain.
- In wide bottomed skillet, render bacon over medium heat until crispy, ~5-10 min.
- Add garlic and sauté with rendered bacon until lightly roasted and fragrant, 2 minutes more. Add chopped clams, 1/2 of the crab meat, and cooked spaghetti, stir to combine, being careful not to break up lumps of crab meat too much. Remove from heat.
- Whisk eggs thoroughly in a mixing bowl with 1 cup of cheese and black pepper to taste (~2tablespoons). Slowly introduce reserved pasta water to warm eggs gradually without scrambling.
- Once egg and cheese mixture is warm and smooth, add to pasta in skillet and fold together until a creamy sauce comes together.
- Dress and garnish with evoo, parsley, reserved cheese and crab meat.
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