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Crab and shrimp pasta recipe

An impressive crab and shrimp pasta that is so quick and easy to make - definitely a crowd-pleaser all year round.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Lazy Lunch
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • 1 Casserole dish

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g of 50/50 crab meat (mixed white and brown meat)
  • 100 g 100g of potted brown shrimp
  • 1 carrot, finely diced
  • 1 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 celery stalk, finely diced
  • 50 ml (¼ cup) sherry
  • 400 ml (1 ⅔ cups) fish stock
  • 200 g of tinned cherry tomato
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
  • A pinch of saffron
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 small red chilli, finely diced
  • 340 g of spaghetti pasta (70g per person)

Optional garnish

  • Parmesan
  • Fresh cooked crab claws
  • Sprigs of fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley

Instructions
 

  • Place a large frying pan or a low oven to table casserole dish on the hob on a medium high heat and pour in a little olive oil. Add the carrots, red onion and celery and fry for 4 minutes.
  • Add the sherry and cook to reduce by ⅓.
  • Add the stock, tinned cherry tomatoes, garlic, saffron and tomato puree and lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Now cook the pasta

  • Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
    Add the spaghetti by standing vertically in the middle and give it a little twist so that it falls uniformly around the pan. The strands will gently wilt into the water in a circular shape. Simmer for 9 minutes stirring occasionally to stop it sticking together. Drain through a colander and reserve the water and set aside.
  • After 20 minutes of simmering the sauce, add the crab meat and chilli and stir through. Add the spaghetti and toss through the sauce. Optionally add a few sprigs of fresh herbs and cooked crab claws.
  • Finally add the potted shrimp to melt through and a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to emulsify the sauce.
  • Bring to the table in the pot and grate over shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano.