Crab Pasta

This creamy crab pasta with chilli and basil is one of the most flavour-packed recipes I have EVER cooked in just TWENTY MINUTES!!! Sorry, I will stop shouting now.

It is true though! This creamy crab pasta is a combination of tomato, basil, lemon, chilli & garlic added to sweet crab meat together in a creamy sauce served with angel hair pasta - divine! And fast! Winner!

If you aren't a fan of chilli just leave it out and this creamy crab pasta still tastes great, but the cream actually cuts down the heat of the chilli quite a lot. Feel free to add more chilli if you like more heat as well! 

How to make crab sauce for pasta

• Fry some chopped cherry tomatoes for 1-2 minutes, until they start to break down a little.
• Add chopped chilli and garlic to the pan and fry for about another minute.
• Then add white wine to the pan to deglaze, and allow it to simmer for 1-2 minutes until it has reduced by about half.
• Add crab (I used blue swimmer), cream & basil to the pan, allowing the cream to bubble and thicken slightly.
• Add lemon juice to the pan (this will thicken the cream) along with the crab and some cooked angel hair pasta.
• Once the crab is heated through, serve.

The night I finished developing this crab pasta recipe, I sat down to it for dinner and ate it so quickly that I kept burning my tongue (only a few times!) because I couldn't eat the first few mouthfuls fast enough! (I'm sure you think that I am exaggerating, but I'm actually not!) A sure sign to me that I had the recipe right!

Creamy pasta recipes in general are a bit of a favourite of mine, but now I can say that I have narrowed the field a bit and crab pasta recipes are now on the top of my list.

This creamy blue swimmer crab pasta is lovely and delicate, it would also make a perfect date night dinner!

I use angel hair pasta in this creamy crab pasta recipe because it cooks so quickly. You could use another type of pasta and make crab linguine or spaghetti if you wish but it may add some cooking time.

If you are a fan of creamy seafood pasta you will love my Lemon Parsley Salmon Pasta - plus it's also a super quick 20 minute dinner!

Lee-Ann ♥

Suggested Sides:

Quick Garlic Rolls (No Yeast)

Crunchy Garlic Bread Bites

📖 Recipe

Creamy Crab Pasta with Chilli and Basil

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Creamy Crab Pasta - a fresh combination of tomato, basil, chilli, garlic & lemon added to sweet crab meat, all together in a creamy sauce served with angel hair pasta.

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Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Serving: 4

Calories: 584kcal

Author: Lee-Ann Grace

Ingredients

• 420 g blue swimmer crab meat drained & picked for shell
• 250 g dry angel hair pasta
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 250 g cherry tomatoes cut into quarters or eighths if large
• 2 large garlic cloves crushed/minced
• 1 long red chilli very finely chopped (see notes)
• ⅓ cup dry white wine
• 300 ml pure cream
• 1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt & pepper to taste
• grated fresh parmesan to serve

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
  1 tbsp. olive oil
• Add tomatoes and cook, stirring for 1-2 mins or until tomatoes have started to break down.
  250 g cherry tomatoes
• Add garlic and chilli and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.
  2 large garlic cloves

  1 long red chilli
• Add white wine to pan to deglaze (it might sizzle a bit) and bring to boil. Allow wine to simmer for 1-2 minutes or until it has reduced by about half.
  ⅓ cup dry white wine
• Add cream, crab & basil to pan and leave on medium heat until cream starts to bubble and thicken just slightly.
  300 ml pure cream

  1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves

  420 g blue swimmer crab meat
• Meanwhile cook pasta according to packet directions and drain.
  250 g dry angel hair pasta
• Add lemon juice and drained pasta to cream & crab mixture, stirring to combine.
  juice of 1 lemon
• Top with parmesan if desired & serve immediately.
  salt & pepper to taste

  grated fresh parmesan to serve

Notes

• I have used one long red chilli in this recipe - if you aren't a fan of chilli you could leave it out altogether and the dish will still taste great.
• Reducing the heat in the chilli by removing the seeds and ribs before slicing is also an option.
• Keep in mind that the heat of the chilli is cut down a bit by the cream - so it really is only a mild chilli flavour if you use it. Feel free to add more if you wish!
• You only need to add the crab at the end to heat through as it is already cooked.
• You could also use another type of pasta if you wish, but the cooking time may vary.

*Please note that the amount of calories per serve is provided as a guide only, as ingredients and cooking methods can vary greatly*

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Crab Pasta with Chilli and Basil

Amount Per Serving (0 g)

Calories 584

% Daily Value*

Fat 0g0%

Saturated Fat 0g0%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0g

Monounsaturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Sodium 0mg0%

Potassium 0mg0%

Carbohydrates 0g0%

Fiber 0g0%

Sugar 0g0%

Protein 0g0%

Vitamin A 0IU0%

Vitamin C 0mg0%

Calcium 0mg0%

Iron 0mg0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.