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Pasta with Spicy Crab Sauce in a bowl. Topped with fried breadcrumbs.

Pasta with Spicy Crab Sauce

This Pasta with Spicy Crab Sauce is a special dish that's quick and easy to make- perfect for seafood lovers!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Equipment

Ingredients
  

For the breadcrumbs

  • ½ Cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ Teaspoon lemon zest or to taste
  • ¼ Cup fresh flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
  • Kosher salt to taste

For the Pasta

  • ¾ Pound long pasta such as linguine, spaghetti or fettuccine
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2-3 Garlic cloves minced, to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 Tablespoon jarred chopped Calabrian peppers
  • ¼ Cup dry white wine
  • 1 (15 ounce) Can crushed tomatoes
  • 8 Ounces lump crab
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Fresh flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
  • Kosher salt to taste

Instructions
 

For the breadcrumbs

  • Add the olive oil and the panko breadcrumbs to a small pan over medium heat. Toss to coat. Toast the breadcrumbs, stirring often, until golden brown; about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl immediately so that they don't burn. Season with salt to taste. When the breadcrumbs have cooled slightly, add the lemon zest and parsley and stir to combine.

For the pasta

  • Add the olive oil, garlic and tomato paste to a pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is just starting to turn golden at the edges. Stir in the Calabrian peppers and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and stir, scraping up any brown bits in the pan.
  • Turn the heat to medium low and add the tomatoes. Fill the tomato can halfway with water, swish, and add the tomato water to the pan. Season with salt. Let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly and the flavors have melded.
  • Just before the pasta is done cooking, gently stir the crab into the sauce, making sure not to break up the lumps too much.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, season with salt. Add the pasta and cook to 2 minutes less than the package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water and drain.
  • Add the pasta, butter and parsley to the sauce pan and toss to coat. Let the pasta finish cooking in the pan, adding pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
  • Divide the pasta between bowls and top with the fried breadcrumbs. Enjoy!
Keyword crab pasta, Seafood pasta, Spicy pasta, Spicy tomato sauce
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