Bucatini Summer Crab Carbonara and Breakfast Vegetables with Spice and Parma!

It’s seldom that I have energy to cook these days. But a wedding anniversary should be celebrated, and for me, homemade pasta is just the thing to say, Today, I’m upright. Today, I’m not afraid. In the storm of things, perhaps today is the eye. And I love you.

Bucatini Summer Crab Carbonara

Adapted from Food and Wine

12 ounces uncooked bucatini pasta

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

1/4 cup drained and rinsed capers, chopped

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

6 large egg yolks, beaten

3 ounces Parmegiano Regianno cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup), plus more for garnish

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh chives

8 ounces fresh Jonah, blue, or stone crabmeat, picked over

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Fine sea salt or kosher salt

Garlic bread and lemon wedges, for serving

Fill up a large pot with water to 2 inches from top of pot; generously salt water. Bring water to a boil over high. Stir in pasta, and return to a boil over high. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (2 minutes less than package directions for al dente). Drain pasta in a colander, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid in a small heatproof bowl. Add a small drizzle of oil to pasta in colander, and toss gently to coat.

Cook oil and garlic in a large, deep skillet over medium, stirring often, until lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add capers and black pepper; cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Add 1 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid; bring to a boil over medium. Stir in cooked pasta, and return to a boil over medium; cook until pasta is al dente, 3 to 4 minutes, adding up to 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid until desired sauce consistency is reached. Remove from heat.

While stirring pasta mixture vigorously using a wooden spoon, pour egg yolks in a quick stream into mixture; stir until slightly creamy, about 10 seconds. While stirring vigorously, quickly add cheese and chives; stir until sauce is creamy and silky, about 20 seconds. Gently stir in crab and lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with fine sea salt or kosher salt. (If needed, add additional pasta cooking liquid to loosen sauce.) Divide pasta mixture evenly among 4 shallow bowls; garnish with additional cheese. Serve with garlic bread and lemon wedges.

My grandma subscribed me to Daily Harvest to help ease meal prep during this time when I’m getting chemotherapy. Besides being easy, KP and I love these veggie bowls and soups because they are pure frozen veggie goodness. We do add some spice and tofu now and then.

Parma! is a great addition to the broccoli cheddar bowl (tons of nutritional yeast vitamins.) Parma also goes well on lots of the recipes from Nancy Wolfson-Moche’s Vegetables for Breakfast book.

While she advocates for a paradigm shift to consider adding vegetables to breakfast, a meal we are used to making with carbs and protein, I think a lot of her recipes are great snacks for anytime, Rutabaga Chips and Carrot Flowers.

Her motto, You Are Because You Eat, is such an affirmation of the power of choice.

I also like adding Spice Lab Street Corn or Taco Seasonings to the Daily Harvest mesquite chili bowl.

Hyperlinked products have been gifted.