Description
Succulent crab takes center stage in Michael Symon’s signature pasta dish, blending Mediterranean herbs with delicate seafood. Creamy sauce and perfectly cooked pasta create a luxurious meal that transports you directly to coastal Italian kitchens.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) pasta (recommended: whole wheat spaghetti, thin spaghetti, or linguini)
- 8 ounces (226 grams) crabmeat or 1 large dressed crab (good quality fresh crab)
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 1 handful small parsley
- 1–2 cloves garlic (or more to taste)
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)
Liquids and Oils:
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) olive oil (approximately)
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) white wine (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare pasta in a pot of boiling salted water, reducing cooking time by 1-2 minutes to achieve an ideal al dente consistency, which ensures a slight firmness when bitten.
- While pasta cooks, meticulously mince fresh garlic cloves and delicately chop parsley leaves into fine, uniform pieces.
- Select a generously sized skillet and warm extra virgin olive oil over gentle medium-low heat, creating a fragrant cooking environment.
- Sprinkle red pepper flakes into the warmed oil, immediately following with minced garlic. Sauté the aromatics carefully, allowing them to release their essence without scorching, which would create a bitter undertone.
- Gently introduce white wine to the skillet, allowing it to simmer and partially reduce, creating a nuanced flavor foundation for the sauce.
- Transfer partially cooked pasta directly from the boiling water into the skillet using tongs, ensuring some residual cooking water accompanies the pasta to help create a silky sauce.
- Fold the crab meat and freshly chopped parsley into the pasta, ensuring even distribution of ingredients and flavors throughout the dish.
- Adjust the sauce consistency by incorporating reserved pasta water or an additional drizzle of olive oil, creating a harmonious and glossy coating for the pasta.
Notes
- Master pasta timing by pulling it from boiling water 1-2 minutes before package instructions suggest for a perfectly tender bite.
- Chop fresh herbs and garlic simultaneously while pasta bubbles to maximize kitchen efficiency.
- Select premium, fresh crab meat – preferably whole dressed crab – to elevate the dish’s authentic seafood flavor profile.
- Invest in extra virgin olive oil with robust, fruity notes to amplify the recipe’s overall depth and richness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 465 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 325 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg