Local Jonah Crab Spaghetti with Pecorino Fonduta, Chili and Lemon

Chef/co-owner Mark Bryson, Duck Press, Wakefield

We love highlighting local Jonah crab on the menu, particularly with our homemade pastas. I enjoy this dish with a glass of La Raia Vineyards Gavi, a biodynamic white wine from the Piedmont region of Italy.

By | September 07, 2023

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
Pecorino fonduta:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups grated pecorino
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional for thickening: see Note)
Pasta:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons Calabrian chili paste
  • ½ cup white wine
  • Pecorino fonduta sauce (see above)
  • 1 pound (16 ounces) dried spaghetti
  • 12 ounces fresh picked
  • Jonah crabmeat
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives
  • 1 lemon
  • Drizzle of basil oil or chopped fresh basil leaves for garnish

Preparation

Start by preparing the pecorino fonduta: In a small saucepot over low to medium heat, melt butter and add shallot and garlic; sweat until softened. Add wine, increase heat and reduce wine by half. Add heavy cream, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add pecorino and blend with a hand-held immersion blender (or a standing blender). Add salt and pepper to taste. Add ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum to thicken slightly. Blend to emulsify. Set aside.

Add water to a large pasta pot, add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions just until al dente. (The pasta will cook a bit more in the sauce.)

While the pasta cooks, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan over low heat, add chili paste and sweat for 1 minute. Add ½ cup white wine, increase heat to high and reduce by half. Set heat to low, add pecorino fonduta and stir. Just before draining the pasta, add ¼ cup pasta water to the sauté pan and stir. Drain pasta and add it to the pan, stir to coat and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat, add Jonah crab, chopped chives and toss gently. To serve, divide pasta among 4 warm pasta bowls. Top with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and garnish each serving with basil oil or finely chopped fresh basil.

Note: Xanthan gum is used conservatively here as a thickener but if you prefer, you can continue to heat the cream over medium heat to reduce and thicken slightly before adding the pecorino.

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Ingredients

SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
Pecorino fonduta:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups grated pecorino
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional for thickening: see Note)
Pasta:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons Calabrian chili paste
  • ½ cup white wine
  • Pecorino fonduta sauce (see above)
  • 1 pound (16 ounces) dried spaghetti
  • 12 ounces fresh picked
  • Jonah crabmeat
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives
  • 1 lemon
  • Drizzle of basil oil or chopped fresh basil leaves for garnish
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