Rourke's Random Musings

The very notion of eating Spam rubs you the wrong way, doesn’t it? Put that aside for a night, and this dish will make you reconsider how you feel about canned meat. For a healthier version, substitute milk for the heavy cream and Spam Lite for the Spam. I recommend trying it without the sauteed onions first and adding them a second time. Opinions are mixed as to whether or not onions add anything to this dish.

To serve two hungry people you’ll need:

• small can of Spam
• half pint of heavy cream
• two cloves of garlic
• pinch of salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• pinch or two of cumin
• 1/2 lb of angle hair
• sauteed onions (optional)

Prepare the pasta al-dente and set it aside. It’ll cook a little further later, so don’t overcook it now. Cool the pasta with water and toss it in olive oil so it won’t stick together.

Dice the Spam and saute it over medium-high heat until it is a little charred and has a crispy outside. Spam is cooked, so you don’t need to worry about undercooking it. Spam is indestructible, so you don’t need to worry about overcooking it. Crunchy is nice, and takes about 15 minutes. Remove the Spam to a bowl for later.

Crush your garlic and saute it in a little olive oil until fragrant. Bring the heat up to high for just a minute and add the cream. De-glaze the pan (scrape the bottom while the heat is high, just after the cream has been added). Bring the heat back down to medium and allow the cream to come up to a simmer. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, and spam to the simmering cream and stir. Allow to simmer for another five minutes to reduce and so the cream picks up the spam flavor. Optionally, add the onions at this point.

Add the pasta back to the cream sauce and mix/toss until the pasta picks up the cream and the Spam is well distributed. Plate and enjoy.