Pick your pasta shape: Any type of pasta works; spaghetti, linguine, shells.
Salt your pasta water: It should taste like the sea. This is your only chance to season the pasta itself.
Use fresh or quality cooked crab: Dungeness is ideal, but whatever you use, make sure it’s sweet, fresh, and fully picked through.
Toast the pine nuts: A few minutes in a dry pan brings out their nutty flavor and adds welcome crunch.
Rinse the capers: A quick rinse removes excess brine so they add pop, not punch.
Taste before serving: With lemon, capers, and Old Bay, seasoning can build quickly. You may not need any additional salt.
Use heavy cream, not half-and-half: The higher fat content holds up better to lemon and heat, so the sauce stays smooth instead of splitting.
Crab Pasta
Crab pasta is an amazing meal combining succulent chunks of fresh crabmeat in a creamy sauce made with white wine, garlic fresh herbs, pine nuts then tossed with your choice of pasta.
Servings: 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry pasta
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 shallot chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 2 whole cooked Dungeness crabs meat removed and picked through
- 2 tablespoons bottled capers rinsed and drained
- 3 tablespoons Fresh thyme
- ground black pepper
- 1 Lemon cut into wedges for garnish
Instructions
Cook the Pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente stage, according to manufacturers’ directions. (Most types of pasta will require between 8 to 12 minutes).
- Drain the cooked pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and toss, coating the pasta lightly with the oil. Cover the pot and set aside to keep warm.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the pine nuts to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Stir occasionally until lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer the toasted pine nuts to a small dish and reserve until needed.
Prepare the Sauce:
- In a large skillet heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes, until soft, then add the white wine and cook for 1 minute to burn off the alcohol.
- Add the lemon juice and lemon zest, then pour in the cream, stirring until blended. Increase the heat to medium-high. When the sauce comes to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-8 minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Add Old Bay seasoning, the crab meat, pasta, ¼ cup of the pasta water, pine nuts, capers, thyme leaves, and a few grindings of black pepper. Toss to coat the pasta, adding additional pasta water if needed.
- Serve immediately, dividing equally into four warm pasta bowls. Garnish each serving with lemon wedges and thyme sprigs.
Notes
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 540mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g
