Crab pasta

Name: Crab pasta
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 8 oz pasta (recommend wholewheat spaghetti/thin spaghetti or linguini); 8 oz crabmeat (or one large dressed crab - good quality fresh crab either way); 1 handful parsley (small); 1 clove garlic (or 2, depending on size (or more to taste - this isn't that strong)); 3 tbsp olive oil (approx, or butter/a mixture); a couple shakes of red pepper flakes (optional)

May 31, 2015 by Caroline's Cooking

Crab pasta is incredibly quick and easy, but also wonderfully fresh, delicately flavored and thoroughly delicious. A great quick meal.

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It's no overstatement to say this is one of the simplest and quickest meals you can imagine. Plus better yet, it's also incredibly tasty. Today's Sunday Supper theme is 'five ingredients or less' and I could think of no more perfectly fitting a main dish as this delicious crab pasta.

Made simply of pasta, crabmeat, garlic, parsley, olive oil (or butter/ a combination) and optional red pepper flakes, it's simple and delicately flavored, but makes a great meal.

OK, I know that the red pepper knocks it into six ingredients, but it's kind of a condiment so don't know that it counts. For me, it's worth making an exception for the nice little kick it gives.

crab pasta topped with some red pepper plates from above

Crab meat or dressed crab?

We used to make this crab pasta when we lived in London and would get dressed crab from our local farmer's market. I do like making it with dressed crab rather than just the white crab meat if you can get it, as the brown meat has a lot of flavor that is really great in there as well.

Dressed crab also has that bit more 'glue' to stick to the pasta which works well, but either way is still really tasty. Here we used fresh crabmeat from our local fish market, but canned/tinned would also be fine.

How to make crab pasta

It is, as I say, incredibly quick to make.

Set the pasta to cook;
Cut up the parsley and garlic while you are waiting;
Drain the pasta;
Gently cook the garlic in the oil/butter (I use the pan the pasta was in since it's already warm);
Mix everything together.

It's super easy and ready in about 10 minutes flat. It's a very fresh-tasting dish with delicate flavors, that's perfect for this time of year. The red pepper flakes do add that little bit of heat/bite but as long as you don't put on too much, it doesn't take over and works really well.

I made this with spaghetti, but other pasta would work well too, particularly other "noodle" pastas like linguine or bucatini. This pasta is an authentic Italian pasta that we have enjoyed and I recommend (affiliate link, meaning we'd earn commission on any purchases, but we genuinely loved it!)

I've said this recipe does 2-4 people as it will depend on your appetites - we seem to be gluttons compared to a lot of recipes I see and so we managed this between two of us. But I understand it would do three or four more normal people 🙂

Crab pasta is so easy and delicious, it's definitely one to add into your meal plan for a night when you don't have all that much time, but still want something tasty and homemade. It's definitely going to be something we have again soon.

Remember to pin this for later.

Try these other easy pasta meals:

Scallop pasta with white wine and garlic
Pasta alla Norma (with eggplant and tomato)
Bacon sundried tomato pasta with spinach and cream
Plus get more 30 minute meals in the archives.

Print Recipe

4.29 from 7 votes

Crab pasta

This crab pasta is a ridiculously easy and tasty combination.

Prep Time2 mins

Cook Time8 mins

Total Time10 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: (or 4 smaller)

Calories: 311kcal

Author: Caroline's Cooking

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Ingredients

8 oz pasta recommend wholewheat spaghetti/thin spaghetti or linguini
8 oz crabmeat or one large dressed crab - good quality fresh crab either way
1 handful parsley small
1 clove garlic or 2, depending on size (or more to taste - this isn't that strong)
3 tablespoon olive oil approx, or butter/a mixture
a couple shakes of red pepper flakes optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions - would recommend slightly al dente.
Meanwhile, remove the leaves from the parsley and roughly chop, and peel and finely dice the garlic.
Drain the pasta and dry the pan then add 2 tablespoon olive oil (or 1tbsp each of butter and oil) and cook the garlic for a minute until you can see it is softening but not browning.
Remove pan from the heat and add back the pasta, add the parsley and crab and a bit more oil and mix everything so the garlic, crab and parley are well distributed through the pasta. Add a little more oil if needed to loosen it.
Serve with a little red pepper flakes sprinkled on top (optionally).

Notes

This pasta is an authentic Italian pasta that we have enjoyed and I recommend (affiliate link, meaning we'd earn commission on any purchases, but we genuinely loved it!)