Description
This super delicious pasta dish features perfectly seared NY Strip Steaks and delicate crab.
Ingredients
Units
For the steaks
- Avocado oil (or another high smoke-point oil)
- 2 NY Strip Steaks
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 4 tablespoons butter
- Flaky kosher salt
- Black pepper
For the pasta
- 8 ounces dried spaghetti (half a box)
- Olive oil, as needed
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 sweet pepper (red, yellow, or orange), diced
- 1 whole fresno chile, sliced lengthwise and julienned (membrane and seeds left in tact!)
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces fresh claw crabmeat, picked over for shells/cartilage
- 1/3 cup drinkable white wine (I used Chardonnay)
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used more, but start with that)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Pasta water, as needed
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
- Juice and zest from 1 lemon
- Pecorino romano cheese, grated, to taste (I used about a half cup)
- Flaky kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Season the steaks generously with kosher salt and black pepper, making sure to get the sides of each steak as well. Let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours.
- In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. When it starts to boil, add about 1 tablespoon of flaky kosher salt. If using a finer salt, only add 2 teaspoons. Reason being, we’re going to add some of this starchy pasta water to our dish later, so we don’t want it to be super salty. Add the pasta, careful not to break it. Gently coax it into the water as it softens to ensure it’s covered completely. Toss the pasta so it doesn’t stick together and boil for just 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, drain the pasta in a colander and rinse it well with COLD water to stop it from cooking any further. Set aside.
- In a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet, set over medium-high heat (closer to high-heat). Add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and carefully coat the bottom of the skillet. When you start to see wisps of smoke, add the seasoned steaks, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Make sure each steak has proper contact with the bottom of the skillet. Leave them alone and let them sear for about 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, depending on the thickness. You’ll know it’s ready to flip when you see a gorgeous crust on the seared side. Cook the steaks on the other side for about a minute, then add the butter, thyme, garlic, and rosemary. As the butter melts, carefully tilt the skillet towards you allowing it to pool at the bottom. Use a large spoon to scoop and pour the browned butter over the steaks, repeatedly for about a minute or two. Turn the heat off, place the cooked steaks on a plate, and pour the hot browned butter on top. Tent with foil and set aside.
- Leave the browned bits from the steak in the skillet, and set it over medium heat. Add the onion, sweet bell pepper, and half of the fresno chile. Add a good drizzle of olive oil, season with flaky kosher salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and dried dill. Stir, scraping up the browned bits of steak, and cook the veggies until they’re softened — about 5 minutes. If they’re browning too quickly, reduce the heat. Once all of the delicious steak bits are scraped up and the veggies have softened, stir in the minced garlic. Add the picked over claw crabmeat, and stir until it’s evenly incorporated. Continue cooking until the crab has absorbed a good bit of the fat and juices, stirring as needed. Then, deglaze the skillet with the white wine. Scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan, add the granulated garlic, granulated onion, lemon pepper, and cayenne. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated — about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream and stir. Add the par-cooked pasta to the skillet, and gently toss everything together. This is when you’ll need to add pasta water to give the spaghetti more moisture to finish cooking. Add the pasta water in half cup increments. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remainder of the fresno chilies, and half of the fresh parsley. Stir and cover, letting the pasta simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the Old Bay seasoning and give the pasta a taste. It should be perfectly al dente at this point, but if it isn’t, add a bit more pasta water if necessary and continue simmering for another 2 to 3 minutes. When the pasta is perfectly al dente, turn off the heat. Fold in the fresh spinach, and squeeze in the lemon juice. Add the lemon zest, remainder of the parsley, and finally toss in a handful of grated cheese. It shouldn’t be gloopy, so try not to go too heavy with the cheese. Toss, give it a taste and see what it needs. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
- Thinly slice the seared steaks and place them on top of the hot pasta. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Feel free to swap out ingredients for what you have. Season as you go, and adjust the heat levels to your own personal tastes. I used claw crabmeat for this recipe, it’s far less expensive than lump or jumbo lump. But if you want to use lump or jumbo lump, please feel free! Just make sure you pick the crabmeat over for shells and cartilage. You can also use any cut of steak you like.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Pasta, Seafood
Keywords: surf and turf pasta, pasta, seafood, steaks, beef
