A nice light pasta dish with crab, that is made with fresh garden tomatoes, fresh basil, butter and olive oil. Great with other proteins or even all on its own too!

Angel Hair Pasta With Crab

This is truly one of my most favorite pasta dishes, if not the most favorite. It is so fresh and light and for the pasta & seafood lover, so satisfying. Many, many years ago, I once had a dish similar to this at Alberti's Italian Restaurant when it was in Biloxi - in the old Goofy Golf building with the landmark gorilla out front. The dish was so delicious that I set out to immediately recreate it!

Alberti's relocated to Ocean Springs after Hurricane Katrina, gorilla and all, and frankly, I don't even know if they have this pasta on their menu. Come to think of it, I'm not sure it was really a menu item back then, but on that particular day, I happened to be with friends who were regulars of Alberti's, and I think this was something that the owner, Mama Yvonne, had Mr. Moe whip up when I mentioned I was in the mood for "something light with crab."

This recipe feeds The Cajun and me with leftovers. Serve with some hot, buttered french bread or rolls and a side garden salad and you'll probably feed 4 adults easy. You could also double up on just the pasta and increase the crab to as much as a full pound for more than 4 people. Really you can use as little or as much crab as you want! I just love the combination of the buttery garlic flavor with the crab, but if you want to reduce fat and calories, just use the olive oil alone. Yes, it's still a fat, but it's a heart healthy fat, a cancer inhibitor and rich in Vitamin E. Make sure you are using a first pressed extra virgin olive oil because this dish deserves that!

I also prefer to use fresh, lump crabmeat from the seafood market when I make this, but even here where crabs are plentiful, that stuff can go for $12 or more a pound. Hey, if you think that's expensive, sit down some time and pick a pound's worth of crabmeat! You'll totally know it's worth every single penny. Fortunately, my in-laws, who have the shrimp boat, also set out crab traps and I am sometimes the lucky recipient of freshly picked crabmeat from my mother-in-law. Gotta love that! Grocery stores sell 6 ounce fresh pouches of crab, usually located in the seafood section, that work just fine for this dish and are pretty reasonable, or you could substitute a quality canned crabmeat if that's all you have access to.

You can substitute well drained, canned diced tomatoes in a pinch when tomatoes are out of season, but definitely use fresh Roma tomatoes in this dish when they are available or even those you have put up yourself. You could also substitute shrimp instead, or even crawfish or oysters, though for this recipe I always have used crab.

If you love pasta and crab like I do, this is easy, quick and really is so totally yummy - give it a try. Enjoy!

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Angel Hair Pasta With Crab
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep/Cook time: 20 min |

Yield: About 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound of angel hair pasta
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 extra large Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped, retaining the juices
• 1 tablespoon of fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 15 turns of the pepper mill
• 1/4 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
• 1/2 pound to 1 pound, lump crab meat
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 of a fresh lemon
• Grated Parmesan, optional

Instructions

Bring water to a boil for pasta, add lots of salt, and boil for according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta and set it aside.

Meanwhile heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the green onion, garlic, and chopped tomatoes to the skillet and sauté until soft. Stir in the basil, Old Bay, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and chicken broth (or wine); simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the pasta to sauce and stir to mix thoroughly. Add the crab and parsley to the pasta and just gently toss, enough to warm the crab through; squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top, and taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Add some of the reserved pasta water if the pasta seems too dry; turn out into a lovely pasta bowl. Garnish each serving with parsley and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve immediately with fresh hot bread and a side salad. About 3 to 4 servings when served with sides.

Note: This is a fresh pasta sauce, different from a spaghetti sauce. It's a fairly light sauce recipe, so if you prefer a heavier sauce to pasta ratio, you'll need to increase the sauce portion. Can substitute with drained canned diced tomatoes when fresh tomatoes are out of season. If you can't get fresh lump crab, try the freezer section, use the pouches, or use a quality canned product. Can also substitute cooked shrimp or other proteins, as well as make this as a stand alone pasta with fresh tomatoes.

Source:  http://www.deepsouthdish.com/

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Posted by Mary on September 02, 2009

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