Creamy lemony crab pasta

"This creamy dreamy pasta is basically a combination of carbonara, spaghetti a limone, and then I threw some crab in there and sesame and chilli flakes, and it's everything I want in a bowl."

Credit: Mary Makes It Easy

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Pasta

• Kosher salt
• 350 g dry spaghetti
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• ½ cup (40 g) finely grated pecorino
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1½ tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 tsp finely chopped oregano, optional
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 225 g cooked crab meat

Topping

• 2 tsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• ¼ cup (15 g) panko
• 3 tsp sesame seeds
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper (chilli) flakes
• 1½ tbsp fresh oregano or parsley

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sesame oil, pecorino, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley and oregano, if using. Season with salt and plenty of pepper and set aside.
3. In a high-sided sauté pan, make the topping by melting the butter and sesame oil together over medium heat. Add the panko, sesame seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt. Stirring frequently, toast the mixture until golden brown and nutty smelling, about 2 minutes. Stir in the herbs, transfer to a small bowl, and set aside.
4. When the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and reserve about 1 cup of the starchy cooking liquid. Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the sauté pan along with the crab meat (alternatively, drain the pasta in a colander and add to the pan). Whisk about ½ cup of the cooking liquid into the egg mixture to loosen then pour onto the pasta. Quickly stir together, adding more of the reserved liquid as needed until the pasta is coated. 
5. Plate the pasta and serve immediately topped with the crunchy topping and more freshly ground black pepper.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.