Dinner Tonight: Linguine with Crab and Chili
My seven-foot tall Sun Gold tomato plant is ripening with beautiful orange cherry tomatoes faster than I can use them (see last week's recipe). My favorite use by far though involves pasta. This particular one comes from my food hero Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall via an episode from his television series called The River Cottage. After diving for spider crabs, he prepares this for fellow diving mates on the beach.
Next time I'll remember not to skimp on red chilies or chili flakes—their spicy flavor is crucial to livening the mild flavor of crab meat and pasta. I'd also use only half as much crab as called for, and spend the saved money on a better quality version from the fishmonger (the refrigerated canned brand from Trader Joe's was hard to resist at $9). Otherwise, this is a beautifully simple dish that can only be properly made during the summer.
About the author: Blake Royer lives in Brooklyn and spends most of his free time cooking and writing about it here at Serious Eats and on The Paupered Chef. From 9 to 5 weekdays, he works as an assistant book editor in Manhattan.
Linguine with Crab and Chili
- serves 4 -
Adapted from The River Cottage by Hugh Fearnley
Ingredients
1/2 pound crab meat, picked over for any bits of shell
1 pound linguine
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1–2 small red chillies, de-seeded and sliced, or 2 large pinches red pepper flakes
1 pound cherry tomatoes, such as Sungold
1 bunch chives, chopped
1 lemon, cut into quarters
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Procedure
1. Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. Cook the linguine until al dente, reserving some pasta water.
2. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over a medium flame. Add the garlic and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes, then toss in the chili or chili flakes and cook until the garlic is soft but not yet brown. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft and beginning to burst.
3. Add the crab meat and toss until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss with the drained linguine and chives. Add the reserved pasta cooking water if it's too dry. Serve immediately with the lemon wedges.
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2 Comments:
Sounds delicious. Agree on the chilli flakes — I think it's necessary when you have seafood in pasta.
Yu Ming Lui at 2:20AM on 08/25/08
I made this last night. Doubled the recipe because they sell 1 lb cans of crabmeat at Santa Monica Seafood. I thought it was very good.
One technique comment: in step 2, it took the tomatoes a long time to get to the soft/beginning to burst stage, so I covered the skillet which hastened the process.
While it can be eaten immediately, it's also good the next day.
John Raiss
slowcook at 6:21PM on 08/29/08