Spaghetti With Crabs
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 3cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
- 128-ounce can peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
- 2tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste
- 4large blue crabs
- Kosher salt
- 1pound dry spaghetti
- ½cup fresh basil leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
545 calories; 12 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 87 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 438 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until it is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, crushing them by hand as you do so, as well as the parsley and red-pepper flakes. Stir and allow to come to a simmer.
- Step 2
Turn the heat up to high and add the crabs. When the sauce starts to boil, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes or so. Remove the crabs to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is firm — really al dente. Drain.
- Step 4
Place the pasta in a large serving bowl or platter and drizzle with olive oil. Pour the crab sauce over the pasta, scatter the basil leaves over the top and season aggressively with black pepper. Serve with crabs on the side and lots of bread.
Private Notes
Comments
My parents used to throw epic spaghetti and crab parties. My father would stand at the"slop sink" and scrub the crabs until they were clean and would then dissect out the lungs and unedible parts. Crabs were thrown in the red sauce and simmered. My Mother was Italian so you know the sauce was delicious . I watched all the prep action but a never invited to these incredible food parties. Do not throw in the crabs until you have scrubbed them clean.
As I was taught by Sal at his seafood store in Cobble Hill many years ago, clean the crabs by removing the back shell, lungs and intestines then split cleaned crabs in half. As a Marylander I would use only male crabs because they are easier to pick.
Growing up in South Jersey, I learned early about the best crabs on the planet! In spaghetti sauce? Heaven!
Take the claws and legs off. Break the claws. Remove the back. Simmer the garlic and olive oil and then add tomato paste and the claws,legs and back.Saute until the shells sweat and the paste turns ruddy red. Discard the shells. Follow the recipe afterwards and put in the meaty internal part that you break in half, inside and cook it for a half hour. You'll be much happier with the results.
Ahhh! Yes. This is the ultimate. Growing up on Long Island we would go to the docks at night with a scoop net and flashlight and find the swimming blue claw crabs around the pilings. We'd scoop them up and take home a couple of dozen. My mom chased them around the sink, pulling off the backs, cutting off the eyes, cutting them in half and cleaning them. Our tomato sauce was very similar to this, but we also added dried oregano. It is the best dish in our family history.
used canned lump crab meat and it worked.