Spicy Crab Linguine with Lemon & Chili
“My favorite part of living on Cape Cod is enjoying the fresh seafood. Our Spicy Crab Linguine has just the right around of spice to complement the sweetness of lemon on fresh caught crab.”– Joseph Carr, Founder, Josh Cellars
Try our Spicy Crab Linguine with Lemon and Chili recipe to impress guests at your next dinner party. Trade in the classic ‘linguine with clams’ dish and upgrade your pasta with jumbo lump crab meat and flavors of chili and lemon. We prefer zest of Meyer lemons for this dish to add a touch of sweetness, but any lemons will be delicious.
Ingredients
- Sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3-4 medium shallots (about 1/3 cup), minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 small red Thai chilis, sliced into thin rounds, or crushed red chili flakes in a pinch
- Zest and juice of a Meyer lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 8 ounces cooked, shelled jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
- 1 pound linguine
- Fresh parsley, roughly chopped or torn for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Set a large sauté pan set over medium heat and melt 3 tablespoons of the butter with olive oil. When the two fats are hot, add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until everything is soft and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add half of the chili and cook for about 1 minute more. Add the zest and lemon juice to the shallot mixture; reserve.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until just al dente; drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Transfer the pasta to the sauté pan along with a couple tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook gently, tossing the pasta until liquid is almost evaporated, another 2 or 3 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, the crab, and more chili if desired. Add a bit more olive oil or pasta water if the mixture seems dry. Scatter with fresh parsley and a grind of pepper to serve.
