Entree: Australia – Queensland Coast – Spanner Crab Linguine (Linguine pasta tossed with sweet spanner crab meat in a light garlic, tomato, white wine and herb sauce)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 10 min

Cook 15 min

Total 25 min

Ingredients

- 12 oz (340 g) linguine
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (12 g)
- 1 small shallot, minced — about 1 oz (30 g)
- 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) seafood or fish stock (or low-sodium chicken stock)
- 2 whole spanner crabs, yield approx. 1 lb (450 g) cooked crab meat (or 1 lb (450 g) picked cooked crab meat)
- 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice (from ~1 lemon)
- 1/4 cup (15 g) chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) reserved pasta cooking water (as needed)
- 2 tbsp (15 g) grated Parmesan or Pecorino (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
2. While pasta cooks, heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and minced shallot and sauté 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
3. Add the cherry tomatoes and red pepper flakes; cook 2–3 minutes until tomatoes begin to soften. Pour in the white wine and seafood stock and simmer 3–4 minutes to reduce slightly.
4. Stir in the picked spanner crab meat, lemon juice, and half the parsley; heat gently 1–2 minutes until crab is warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
5. Add the cooked linguine to the skillet and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time to loosen the sauce until it coats the pasta.
6. Remove from heat, stir in the grated cheese if using, and finish with the remaining parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.