Garlic Crab Pasta

Buttery Garlic Noodles With Fresh Crab Were a Huge Hit With Our Test Kitchen

3.5

(2)

2 Reviews

Garlic noodles are the perfect partner for crab.

Diep Tran

Published on December 19, 2023

Tested by

Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman

Garlic Noodles with Crab — Photo:
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Active Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

50 mins

Yield:

4 to 6 servings

Garlic crab pasta is a Vietnamese dish that’s beloved in California’s Bay Area, a hotbed for Dungeness crab. In her version, chef and cookbook author Diep Tran adds fish sauce to amp up the umami factor in the garlicky, buttery sauce for bucatini. The result is a wonderfully rich and flavorful sauce that coats the al dente pasta and sweet, tender crabmeat.

Frequently asked questions

What is bucatini?

Bucatini is a hollow, round, spaghetti-like dried pasta from the Lazio region of Central Italy. It’s extra surface area makes it ideal for soaking up strongly flavored sauces like the one in these crab and garlic noodles. If you don’t have bucatini, you can substitute spaghetti in this recipe.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

The final seasoning level of the crab pasta largely depends on how much you salt the pasta cooking water. Heavily salted pasta water will help make sure every bite of the final dish is well-seasoned.

Suggested pairing

Serve this boldly flavored crab pasta with a complex, almondy white wine, such as Montenidoli Tradizionale Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

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Ingredients

2 (1 1/2-pound) fresh Dungeness crabs or 1 1/3 cups lump crabmeat
1/2 cup unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons cubed unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped garlic (about 2 heads)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 (12-ounce) package dried bucatini pasta
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

If using lump crabmeat, skip to step 2. For fresh crabs, place steamer basket in a large pot; fill pot with water until water line is just below bottom of steamer basket, about 1 to 2 inches deep. Bring to a boil over high. Add crabs; cover and steam until shells turn bright orange, 18 to 20 minutes. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Let crabs cool in ice bath 10 minutes. Remove crabmeat. Place 1 1/3 cups crabmeat in a bowl; set aside. (Reserve any remaining crabmeat for another use.)
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a medium saucepan over low. Add crabmeat to butter in pan; bring to a simmer over low, stirring often. Add garlic; increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Stir in nutmeg; transfer crab mixture to a small bowl.
Cook bucatini according to package directions for al dente. Meanwhile, heat fish sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a large skillet over medium. Add 1/2 cup reserved crab mixture, and cook, stirring, until sauce comes to a simmer. Turn off heat.
Drain pasta; reserve 3 tablespoons pasta cooking liquid. Add bucatini and reserved cooking liquid to skillet; cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Turn off heat. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons cubed butter until melted. Fold in remaining crab mixture.