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Crab Pasta

Fresh pasta really makes this dish a standout because it tends to absorb the sauce better and its texture marries well with the lump crabmeat. There is no substitute for lump crabmeat (no shredded claw meat) but you can certainly make this with shrimp. Just don't overcook them.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 packages Buitoni fresh linguine
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 4 tablespoons butter divided
  • 3 tablespoons finely minced garlic
  • 3 slices stale French bread
  • 4 tablespoons parsley leaves
  • 1 28 ounce can DeLallo Italian whole peeled tomatoes broken up by hand into shreds with juice in the can reserved or any Italian whole peeled tomatoes in tomato puree
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 8 ounces lump crabmeat or 1 pound of medium sized raw shrimp peeled and deveined
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano optional

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
  2. Tear bread into large pieces and put in the bowl of a food processor along with the parsley leaves. Pulse until the bread is in medium crumbs and the parsley is well chopped.

  3. In a very large saucepan with high sides, heat 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and quickly add the breadcrumb mixture. Stir until it is well browned and crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Scrape the crumbs into a bowl and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.

  4. Heat the remaining 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium high heat. When it is bubbling, add the garlic, stirring constantly, and lower the heat to medium. Stir the garlic until it is just toasty and brown but not dark brown or black.
  5. Immediately add all of the shredded tomatoes and a half-cup of the “heavy juice” from the can of tomatoes.
  6. Cook the tomatoes over medium heat until they are softened and starting to melt into the sauce, about 10 minutes. Add the honey and stir well. Continue to stir the tomato sauce while making the pasta.
  7. Pull the strands of linguini apart before putting them in the salted water. Cook the pasta for exactly 2 ½ minutes. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain the pasta. Set aside while you finish the sauce.
  8. Add the cream and reserved pasta water to the sauce. Stir well and let come to a boil.
  9. If you are using shrimp, stir them into the sauce now and cook for 1-2 minutes until they are just done. Don’t overcook them or they will be rubbery.
  10. Toss the pasta into the sauce and keep tossing it until the sauce completely covers the strands of linguini. Turn the heat to low and add the lump crab and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pasta and toss well until the butter is melted.
  11. Serve the pasta in individual bowls with a generous sprinkle of toasted breadcrumbs and parsley over the top and the freshly grated cheese.