Crab Cake Carbonara + Wine Pairing

Pinot and Pasta…a perfect combination, especially when pairing this delicious recipe for Crab Cake Carbonara with La Follette 2014.

Pinot Noir is a versatile wine with lovely acidity, subtle minerality, touches of floral earthiness, baking spices and tart red berries-and this North Coast California vintage is all that and more.

Classic pasta carbonara is known for it’s creamy richness and this crab cake version is no exception. Bites of crisp bacon, earthy parmesan and the golden silkiness of the sauce need that hint of acid found in this wine, a nice palate cleanser in between bites. The minerality and tart berries are a surprising match for the crab cakes. I loved how the flavors danced together in this crab cakes and pasta dish, pepper and earth with berry and buttery-glorious!

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Crab Cake Carbonara

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 quarts water
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 lb. dried spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 thick slices bacon cut into small cubes
• 8 oz. Cameron’s Seafood Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes portioned into 12 small balls
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 large whole eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
• salt to taste

Garnish:

• chopped basil
• grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot over medium high heat and season with salt. Cook dried pasta for 5-6 minutes or until al dente (still has a bit of a bite). Reserve 2 cups of hot pasta water and drain the remaining. Rinse noodles with cool water and toss with olive oil. Set aside.
2. In a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot cook bacon over medium heat until just crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Carefully add portioned crab cakes to the bacon fat and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked thoroughly. Remove from the pot and set aside on paper towels.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together parmesan, egg yolks, eggs and pepper until smooth. Pour in hot reserved pasta water in a thin stream while whisking until blended.
4. Add pasta to bacon fat and reheat. Once pasta is warm reduce heat to medium low and pour in egg mixture, stirring frequently. Stir until sauce thickens (about 2-3 minutes) and stir in cooked bacon. Season to taste with salt.
5. Portion carbonara into serving bowls, evenly distribute mini crab cakes and top with fresh chopped basil and parmesan cheese.

How do I find La Follette 2014 Pinot Noir?

From Gold Medal Wine Club, of course! The only source for superb ultra-premium wines from some of the best producers in the world-and better still- delivered right to your door, no need to fuss with a trip to the store. There are several membership options to chose from whether you’re a fan of boutique California wineries or sought after collectable bottles-Gold Medal Wine Club has what you’re looking for.

“Our experts gave this wine club some of the best marks of any of wine of the month club we tried…

the wines were ‘crowd pleasers’.” Wall Street Journal

How do I find Cameron’s Seafood Award Winning Crab Cakes?

Shop with ease at Cameron’s Seafood online store, offering the very best in fresh Maryland seafood. As the good folks at Cameron’s Seafood say…”from the shore to your door, 3 days fresher than the grocery store”… it’s all about quality and convenience. Each crab cake is hand made every morning using only the very best Maryland jumbo lump crab meat.

“The best crab cake you’ll ever have”. New York Times

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