Crab linguine is a lightning-quick pasta dish, my take on this popular combination features chilli and lemon & adds some delicious samphire.
When I say quick... this easy pasta recipe will go from your fridge/store cupboard in 20 minutes, making it a perfect midweek meal!
Crab Pasta with Chilli and Samphire
Quick pasta dishes are the lifeblood of many kitchens, and mine is no different. My latest offering is a delicious crab linguine.
It will go from your fridge to your table in right around 20 minutes!
It joins other fish or seafood pasta recipes that cook really quickly like a cod pasta with bacon and pesto, prawn and pea pasta, clam pasta and a wonderful salmon and pea pasta.
I even have homemade crab ravioli, crab sandwich and crab cakes recipes which are spectacular!
My crab linguine recipe is fairly traditional with its use of chilli and lemon.
But I add a wonderful ingredient that always gets my heart racing, samphire!
A wonderfully wild "sea vegetable" that has a unique salty flavour that takes this fairly classic dish to a whole new level.
It is an ingredient that I use a lot at the moment in fishy dishes, it features in dishes like my cod salad recipe, pan-fried sea trout with clams, salt cured mackerel salad and pan-fried hake with chorizo and samphire.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dressed crab?
Dressed crab is a prepared crab that has been picked and cleaned, then presented back in the shell. The brown meat is either mixed with the white meat or presented separately.
Can I use tinned crab?
Yes, I've made this with tinned crab, which generally speaking just uses white meat. You get a cleaner-looking dish but one with less flavour.
Does the type of wine matter?
So long as you use dry white wine, you are good to go. I generally use the "if I am prepared to drink it, it is good to cook with" adage, but you go with what you are comfortable with.
What if I can't find samphire?
Samphire is a unique flavour and texture, but not having it does not mean that you cannot make this dish!
Adding peas takes this in a different direction and plays beautifully with the sweetness of the crab. Fine beans or thin asparagus also offer ways to change up this recipe.
You will need to add additional salt if you swap the samphire for something else.
Can I use different types of pasta?
Yes, everything from spaghetti to fettuccini tagliatelle works well in this crab pasta recipe.
Serving Suggestions
This simple and delicious bowl of crab linguine is the ultimate simple dinner, as far as I am concerned.
I rarely serve it with anything other than a nice wedge of bread.
If I am making bread (not often), I'd usually make a quick soda bread, if not, I'd usually have some ciabatta knocking around in the freezer.
My wife generally insists on garlic bread, which means this is usually the winner!
Equipment Used
I only recommend brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 24-30cm (10-12") frying pan.
- 20cm (8") saucepan (minimum).
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
- Sieve or colander.
Crab Linguine Recipe with Chilli and Samphire
Ingredients
- 200 g Dried Linguine 7oz
- 1 Dressed Crab 140-150g Mixed Brown and White Meat
- 25 g Butter 2 tablespoon
- 1 Small-Medium Shallot 35g
- 1 Red Chilli Pepper
- 75 ml Dry White Wine ⅓ Cup
- 100 g Samphire 1 Cup
- 1 Lemon
- Salt for Boiling Pasta
Instructions
- Bring a medium pan (20cm or 8") of water to a boil.
- Peel the shallot and dice it as finely as you can.
- Remove the seeds from the chilli pepper and dice it as finely as you can.
- By now, the water for the pasta should be boiling. Add salt (around 1 teaspoon) and cook the pasta until nicely al dente (10-12 minutes).
- Approximately 7 or 8 minutes before the pasta is cooked, heat a medium to large (24-30cm or 10-12") frying pan or skillet over a medium heat. Add the butter, and when it has melted, add the shallots and cook without colouring for a minute.
- Throw in the chilli then cook for another minute, stirring regularly.
- Turn the heat up to high and pour in the wine and cook hard for 2-3 minutes, then reduce the heat to low.
- Add the samphire and cook for 60 seconds.
- Drain the pasta, reserving a little (75ml or ⅓ cup) of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the samphire, then mix and add as much pasta water as required to form a nice sauce.
- Add the crab, mix to combine, then add as much lemon juice as you like to give the dish a nice "zing", then serve.