Harissa and Miso Spaghetti

In this recipe harissa and miso turn spaghetti into a comforting carbonara-esque meal. Together, these two condiments bring sweetness, a touch of heat and just enough umami to make you go in for a second serving. The bread crumbs are optional but they are totally recommended, they can be prepared in advance and kept for two days in a sealed container.

Ingredients

• 1

  tablespoon fine sea salt

• 12

  ounces dry spaghetti 

• 2

  tablespoons white miso paste

• 2

  tablespoons harissa 

• 2

  tablespoons olive oil

• 3

  large eggs 

• 2 ½

  ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) finely grated Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano cheese) 

Preparation

1. Prepare the pasta: Place a large pot of water over high heat, add the salt and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until it’s almost al dente. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water and drain the pasta. 
2. While the pasta cooks, make the bread crumbs, if desired: Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium high, add the bread crumbs, parsley and salt and stir to coat. Stir constantly until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the bread crumbs to a small container and keep until ready to use. 
3. Transfer the miso paste, harissa and olive oil to a medium bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water and whisk together until well combined and smooth. Add the eggs and whisk again until well combined. 
4. Transfer the drained pasta back to the pot over low heat. Add the harissa mixture and the grated Parmesan, and stir vigorously. (This is important to prevent the eggs from scrambling.) Add a couple tablespoons of the cooking water (or more if necessary) and continue stirring to obtain a creamy sauce that coats all the pasta, about 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Serve right away, with breadcrumbs, if using.