Creamy Canned Crab Meat Pasta with Chili and Lemon
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Hello Italian coastal vibes! This crab pasta is what I make when I’m craving something that feels effortless, but still a little fancy. The olive oil-based sauce is light and lemony, with just a touch of cream. It’s full of convenient picked sweet crab meat, and a hit of red pepper to kick things up. It all comes together in the time it takes to cook the spaghetti.
I love the ease and elegance of forking up pasta and seafood — my buttery, garlicky shrimp pasta is a perfect example. This crab version is in the same wheelhouse, simple enough for a weeknight but special enough to pour a glass of wine for.
Karen’s ingredient notes
- Crabmeat: For convenience, I use pre-cooked, picked crabmeat that comes in refrigerated vacuum-sealed containers. I think it makes a big difference in taste and quality to buy wild-caught blue crab packaged without preservatives. I use a mixture of lump and claw meat for flavor, as well as color. Premium lump crabmeat comes from the body of the crab, in large, white chunks that have a delicate, sweet flavor. The claw meat is brownish in color, with more of a briny flavor that reminds me that I’m eating seafood (and that’s the point of crab pasta, right?!).
- Pasta: Long pasta cuts like spaghetti and linguine are my pick to pair with this crabmeat sauce. Plus, what’s better than twirling a fork into the dish, catching every bit of chunky crab, lemon zest, and creamy sauce?
Overview of the cooking steps
1. Combine the crab in a bowl with lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. 2. Soften chopped shallot in a large skillet, then stir in some garlic. 3. Add the crabmeat mixture over low heat.
4. Tumble in cooked pasta and cream. 5. Sprinkle the crab pasta with lemon juice and parsley and toss together. 6. Enjoy with a glass of chilled rosé or minerally white wine.
Creamy Crab Meat Pasta with Chili and Lemon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound crabmeat, preferably a mixture of claw and lump
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh lemon zest
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup finely chopped shallot, or yellow onion
- 1-2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, more or less to taste
- 12 ounces dried spaghetti or linguine
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Put the crab meat in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest, a big pinch of salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir together to combine. Tip: You can let this mixture marinate while you chop and prep the other ingredients.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes or according to the package directions. Don't be afraid to taste a few tester strands! Scoop out about 1 cup of the starchy cooking water before draining.
- Meanwhile, place a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the chopped shallot and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook 2-3 minutes, until the shallot is softened and looks translucent. Stir in the garlic and red pepper and cook until the garlic smells fragrant.
- Add the crabmeat mixture to the skillet along with ½ cup of the pasta water. Adjust the heat to medium-high, just until the liquid bubbles, then reduce to low heat. Keep in mind that you don't want to "cook" the crab, just warm it up.
- Still over low heat, add the drained pasta to the skillet and pour in the cream. Toss the pasta with the crab sauce, using a pair of tongs or two large spoons. You can drizzle a little more of the pasta water if you think the sauce looks too dry.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice and the chopped parsley. Taste the pasta and season with more salt, lemon or red pepper to your taste. Toss together again and serve immediately.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Omit the cream if you want to make this dish dairy-free. Use a bit more pasta water to make the sauce.
- Pair this pasta with a chilled, minerally white wine such as sauvingon blanc, Chablis, albarino, muscadet, or vinho verde.
- You can boil or steam crabs yourself, if you prefer. You’ll need about 7 pounds of whole crab to yield one pound of picked crabmeat.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.