Spaghetti with Giant Spider Crab

Method

1. Clean the crabs thoroughly with a brush to remove all algae from the carapace.
2. In a large pot, add water, coarsely chopped onion, carrot, celery, and half a glass of dry white wine. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Season the broth with salt, then add the crabs. Cover and cook for 15–20 minutes (depending on size) from when the boil resumes.
4. Remove the crabs and let them cool at room temperature for 10–15 minutes.
5. Clean the crabs: separate the top carapace from the body, remove the gills with scissors. Cut the body in half and extract all the meat from the body and legs. Also collect the creamy bordura (crab cream) from inside the carapace using a spoon.
6. If using a female crab, open the carapace and extract the internal eggs (they are inside a liquid mass). Set aside.
7. Place the cleaned carapaces back into the broth and simmer for 15–20 minutes to clean them further (they will be used for serving decoration).
8. In a sauté pan, add extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic (without the central germ), and finely chopped fresh chili pepper. Sauté over low heat until fragrant.
9. Add halved cherry tomatoes (pachino or datterini) to the pan, increase heat to high, and cook until they soften and release their juice. Season with salt and black pepper.
10. Add a spoonful of bordura (crab cream) to the sauce and let it reduce and concentrate its flavor.
11. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in salted boiling water until 2 minutes less than the package cooking time.
12. When the sauce has reduced, add a ladle of pasta cooking water to emulsify.
13. Add the extracted crab meat to the sauce and toss quickly.
14. Drain the spaghetti and transfer to the pan. Toss vigorously over high heat, adding more pasta water if needed, until the pasta is perfectly cooked and the sauce is creamy.
15. Remove from heat, add chopped fresh parsley.
16. Plate the spaghetti, garnish with fresh basil leaves, a few reserved pieces of crab meat, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.