Our ingredient this week is oysters. I had plans to make oysters on the half shell with a champagne granita. The only problem was my husband won’t eat raw oysters, and I waited until the last minute to buy fresh oysters, so I was afraid they would all be gone. So I switched gears and decided to make something using canned smoked oysters.
I decided to make an Spaghetti Carbanara with Smoked Oysters. I thought the smokiness of the oysters would match the smokiness of the bacon. The results were good, but the pasta was really rich. Serve this in very small portions. I’m not a big oyster fan, so I actually liked the pasta better without them, but if you like smoked oysters, then I think you’ll really like this dish. And by the way, it’s not a true carbanara. I added leeks, mushrooms, and used parmesan cheese.
Pasta Carbanara with Smoked Oysters
4-6 servings
1 lb dried spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 oz bacon,cut into thin strips
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 leek, cut in half and thinly sliced
6 cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 eggs
1 cup parmesan regianno cheese, grated
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1. Bring water to boil. Add pasta and cook 8-10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over med heat. Add bacon and saute until bacon is almost crispy. Add leeks, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute until leeks and mushrooms are tender.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and cheese together until there are no lumps. Set aside.
4. Add hot drained pasta to the skillet wtih the bacon mixture. Toss to coat well. Remove from heat.
5. Pour the egg/cheese mixture over the pasta and quickly stir to mix well and keep the eggs from scrambling. Thin out the sauce with the reserved pasta water if needed.
6. Season with salt if needed and lots of coursely ground black pepper. Top with the chopped parsley.