Fettuccine with Crab and Pancetta

This Fettuccine with Crab and Pancetta is so rich and creamy. The crab gives the dish a sweet flavor, and the Pecorino Romano cheese adds a sensational richness to this pasta dish. 

This crab and pancetta fettuccine doesn't take long to make, but it does require a little bit of a high wire act, or at least the ability to multitask. I'm pretty proud of myself, in that I was able to get this dish on the table in less than 30 minutes. I'm getting better at this cooking thing!

Welcome to another monthly Fish Friday! I know that this crab and pasta dish doesn't really qualify for fish on Fridays or Lent, what with the pancetta in there. Instead, you can think of it as a delicious surf and turf with pasta!

My favorite food magazine used to be Fine Cooking. It appealed to my love of exploring cooking. There were lots of stretch recipes in the magazine, but the instructions and accuracy of the recipes really helped me learn how to make some pretty fancy dishes. I'm so sad that they no longer are publishing. 

I adapted this recipe from their "Make it Tonight" section in the December 2017/January 2018 issue of the magazine. The "Make it Tonight" recipes are meant for weeknights, when you have less time. I always smiled because the recipes usually have 10 to 20 ingredients, some of which you probably don't happen to have on hand (like lump crab meat and pancetta). Still, this is why I loved this magazine. 

For this recipe, I learned how to cook pancetta and pasta at the same time, as well as quickly use freshly cooked and very hot pasta to "cook" the raw eggs in the egg and cheese mixture to make the sauce without creating scrambled eggs! I also had to quickly reserve some of the pasta water before draining the al dente fettuccine. Mise en place and making sure all of your needed kitchen tools are at the ready are definitely key.

For more tasty fish and pasta recipes, check out this Crab Macaroni and Cheese , this Lightened up Salmon Noodle Casserole, and this Spicy Angel Hair Pasta with Halibut. These recipes are amazing.

This month, the #FishFridayFoodies are making all things crabby. After the recipe, be sure to check out the rest of the recipes using crab.

Yield: Serves 6

Fettuccine with Crab and Pancetta

ingredients:

• 5 ounces diced pancetta 
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/2 ounces grated Pecorino Romano
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 teaspoons of finely grated lemon zest, divided
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 10 ounces dried fettuccine noodles
• 12 ounces lump crabmeat, divided
• Chopped scallions or chives for garnish (optional)

instructions:

1. Bring a 6 to 8 quart pot of water to a boil. At the same time, cook the pancetta in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat until crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. 
2. In a very large bowl, whisk together the eggs, the cheese, the garlic, and 2 teaspoons of the lemon zest, along with a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. 
3. When the pasta water comes to a boil, salt it well, and add the pasta. Cook to al dente, according the package directions. Once the pasta is done, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and then drain the pasta in a colander. Immediately add the hot pasta to the egg and cheese mixture. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Immediately toss with tongs to combine. 
4. Add most of the cooked pancetta, reserving a few pieces for garnish.  Add about 2/3 of the crabmeat and additional hot pasta water as necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with the reserved pancetta, crabmeat, and lemon zest. Top with the optional scallions. 

http://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2018/03/fettuccine-with-crab-and-pancetta.html

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