Pasta with Asparagus and Crab in a Buttery White Wine Sauce
If you like crabmeat dipped in garlicky melted butter, then you will really enjoy this quick and easy pasta dish.
This Asparagus and Crab Pasta dish is quite decadent, with lots of fresh crabmeat and tender asparagus lightly coated in a buttery white wine reduction. The sauce is light and lemony, yet rich and buttery at the same time, with just the right amount of garlic to compliment without overpowering. Fresh basil and tarragon provide a nice bright herbal note to the dish.
Thin Asparagus work best for this dish. If using thicker asparagus, cut the asparagus in thirds, then cut the thicker stem pieces in half lengthwise.
Lump, Backfin, or Claw Grade Crabmeat?
I like to buy picked crab meat, all the hard work of cracking, picking through, and scrounging for the tasty morsels of crab meat has been done for me.
Pasteurized, refrigerated fresh crab is readily available at seafood shops, or at most larger grocery stores with good seafood sections.
For this dish, I like to use claw grade crabmeat. It has a stronger flavour than lump, or back fin grade crabmeat, making it ideal for this dish. Plus, it is the least expensive of the three!
The heartier flavour of the claw crabmeat makes it ideal for this dish. The flavour of the crab really shines through, so that you can tell that there is asparagus and crab in the dish.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus (preferably thin spears) woody stems removed
- 225 grams dried spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 medium shallot peeled and minced
- small red chilipepper, finely sliced or minced (optional)
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 lemons ( juice and zest of one for the sauce, the other cut into wedges for serving)
- ¼ cup butter cut into cubes
- 225 grams pasteurized, refrigerated fresh crabmeat (claw, backfin, or lump grade)
- ½ cup fresh tarragon and basil combined
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare a bowl with ice water and set aside.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the asparagus into thirds and blanch in the boiling water until tender, but still a bit under done, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon transfer the asparagus to the bowl of ice water. Once cooled, drain and set aside.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat and add garlic and shallot. Sauté until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the wine and simmer for 2 minutes or until reduced by half. Add the juice and zest from one of the lemons, the red chili pepper (if using). Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, one cube at a time, until fully melted and a slightly creamy sauce has formed. Fold in crab meat, asparagus and pasta.
- Drain the pasta, reserving about ¼ cup of the pasta water. Return the pan to the heat and reduce the heat to med-low. Fold the pasta, crab meat, and asparagus into the sauce. Cook until everything is warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. Add the reserved pasta water if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Remove from the heat and add ½ of the tarragon and basil, tossing to mix through. Serve, garnished with the remaining tarragon and basil and extra lemon wedges alongside.