Jumbo Shrimp and Lump Crab Carbonara with Lemon Pasta

Chef Ben Fidelak
Ingredients

Lemon Pasta Dough:
       1 ¼ cups “00” flour
       ½ cup durum (semolina) flour
       1 ½ teaspoons salt
       9 large egg yolks
       2 tablespoons extra virgin olive
       2 tablespoons water
       Zest of one lemon
 
Sauce:
¼ lb Thick Cut Bacon, diced
1 ½ lbs 8/12 count Shrimp, peeled and deveined (or any size you prefer)
1 lb Lump Crab Meat
¼ C Shallots, finely diced
¾ C Heavy Cream
4 T Unsalted Butter
¼ C Grated Parmesan
¼ C Grated Romano
4 Egg Yolks
3 Garlic Cloves, Roasted and minced
3 T Basil Olive Oil
3 T Parsley, Chopped
3 T Reserved Pasta Water
Pepper, to taste
Tony Chachere’s, to taste

Directions

Lemon Pasta Dough:
On a flat work surface, combine the flours and salt and form it into a mound. Create a deep well in the center.
In a small bowl, add the egg yolks, olive oil, lemon zest and water. Whisk until combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the flour. Make sure the well is deep enough to hold all of the wet ingredients with at least ¼ inches of flour up the sides. This will make sure your egg mixture doesn’t pour out of the sides of your flour well.
With your fingers, start incorporating flour into the egg mixture. Slowly start pulling in more flour from the sides of the well. Continue pulling in flour until the dough starts to hold together into a floury mass.
If the ball is too dry – won’t hold together in a mass – add water 1 tablespoon at a time until a ball can be formed.
Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes.
Plant your feet and use the heel of your hand to push the dough in a downward motion. Turn the ball about 45 degrees after each kneading motion.
If the dough feels wet or sticky, dust with flour and continue kneading.
If the dough still feels dry after 2 minutes of kneading, wet your hands and continue kneading.
Once the dough is kneaded, rest the dough for 30 minutes – 2 hours. To do so, wrap the dough ball in plastic cling wrap and leave on the counter.
If you want to use the dough the next day, you can leave it wrapped in the fridge overnight. However, be warned that resting overnight will likely lead to some discoloration.
Before you roll out the dough, put a large pot of water on high heat.
After resting the dough, cut the dough ball into 4 even pieces. While you work, cover the dough in a kitchen towel to prevent drying. Working one-at-a-time, shape the piece into a ball and place in the center of your workspace. Push the ball down until the surface is flat. Using a rolling pin or unopened wine bottle, roll the dough out until it is about ½ inch thick. At this point, you can either use a pasta maker or roll by hand.
If you are using a pasta maker, set the pasta maker to its lowest setting. Run the dough through the pasta maker on this setting until there is little resistance. Continue working up the pasta maker thickness settings until your desired thickness is reached, anywhere from 1/8th  to 1/16th inch.
If you are rolling by hand, continue to roll the dough out with your rolling pin until it reaches a thickness of 1/8th to 1/16th inch.
Dust the pasta sheets with flour and allow them to rest for about 30 minutes.
The sheets can either be cut by hand or with the attachment of a pasta maker.
If you are cutting the pasta by hand, fold the sheet over on itself a few times and cut to your desired width.
If you are using the pasta maker attachment, run the pasta through the attachment just like you did during rolling.
Toss the freshly cut pasta with semolina flour and place on a semolina-dusted workspace or baking sheet. Rest the pasta for 15 minutes.
Before you cook the pasta, generously salt the pot of boiling water. The general rule is 2 tablespoons salt for every 4 cups of water. The water should taste salty like the ocean.
To cook the pasta, add the pasta, working large handfuls at a time, to the pot of boiling water. Stir the pasta in the first minute to prevent sticking. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes until the pasta is tender but still chewy. Remove the pasta from the pot with a slotted spoon or mesh colander.
 
Sauce:
Sauté the bacon over medium heat in a large skillet until nearly done. Add shallots and shrimp. Sprinkle with Tony Chachere’s and pepper.
Continue cooking until shrimp are pink, firm and curled. Cooking time will depend on the size of your shrimp. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add butter and garlic to pan. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add olive oil and heavy cream. Reduce heat and add cheese. Sprinkle again with Tony’s and pepper. Simmer until melted.
Add shrimp mixture and crab meat to sauce. Add cooked pasta and reserved pasta water. Toss lightly.
Spoon into bowls and immediately before serving mix in one egg yolk to each bowl.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and enjoy!

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