Sophie Dahl's Recipe For Linguine With Tomatoes, Lemon, Chile, and Crab

Fast and Easy Dinner: Crab, Lemon, and Chile Linguine

March 22, 2011

I've been obsessed with Dungeness crab this year, and although the latest catch has been plentiful, the season's started to wind down in favor of other Spring seafood like shrimp and tuna. So to make the most of what's still around, I've been buying up crab left and right, incorporating its tender meat in various fast and easy dinners. My current fave is this rustic meal, which comes from the cookbook of culinary show host and former model Sophie Dahl. I love how al dente linguine and a paste of garlic, chiles, and lemon zest highlight the crab's succulence and sweet flavor. Keep reading for the recipe.

From Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights: Recipes for Every Season, Mood, and Appetite by Sophie Dahl

Linguine With Tomatoes, Lemon, Chile and Crab

Ingredients

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
Sea salt
1 clove of garlic
1/2 red chile, deseeded and finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup cooked fresh crab meat
6 ounces whole wheat or spelt linguine
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

Cut the tomatoes and sprinkle them with a little sea salt.
In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and chile into a red pulp. (If necessary, add a little sea salt to help grind the two together.)
Mix in the olive oil, lemon juice, and zest. Add the crab to the mix if your mortar and pestle is big enough; if not, transfer everything to a slightly bigger bowl.
Cook the pasta until it's al dente; drain, then pour the crab mixture and tomatoes over and sprinkle with parsley as desired.

Serves 2.