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This bucatini with spicy crab was inspired by a pasta I had in Venice at a fantastic restaurant called Ca’ D’Oro alla Vedova. I think the dish was spaghetti with spicy langoustines but crab seemed like a good substitute. My objective was to recreate the delicious spicy tomato-based sauce with undertones of the salty-briny flavors of the sea. In my opinion, this pasta is weeknight gourmet at its best.
Looking for more bucatini recipes? Try my bucatini all’ Amatriciana. Also, stay tuned for more seafood pasta combos – I’m off to Sicily next month!!!
By the way, next time you are in Venice, don’t miss Ca’ D’Oro alla Vedova. And make sure to try their polpette (deep fried meatballs). They are supposedly the best in Venice. A reservation is recommended – the place is very small and popular. We happened to walk in right when the place was opening and got lucky enough to snag a table.
We also were very lucky to bump into the proprietor of Venice Bites Food Tours while he leading a tour group – that’s how we knew to try the meatballs. While we didn’t actually take the tour, we did make heavy use of the company’s website. It was full of excellent recommendations on what and where to eat. As with most tourist destinations, Venice is full of tourist trap places dishing up expensive so-so food. I recommend signing up for this food tour if you want to find the best food the city has to offer. At the very least, check out their website.
Notes on Bucatini with Spicy Crab
If you are not familiar with bucatini, it’s like a thick spaghetti noodle with a hallow center. The hollowness is great because it means the noodles will get coated with sauce inside and out! We get bucatini at our Italian Store but you can find the Garofalo No.14 Bucatini 16oz / 2pcs![""]("//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=diningalfre0d-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B006JQBBKC")
For the crab, I bought a 1 lb can of jumbo lump crabmeat. I can find this cheap at our local Asian grocer – $13-15 dollars compared to over $20 at Whole Foods and other grocery stores. I only used half of the crab for this recipe. We made Crab Mac & Cheese with the rest.
Pasta tip: Don’t break the pasta noodles to fit them in the pot. Just put them in whole allowing them to partially stick out of the pot. Within a minute you can push them fully under with a spoon.
Suggested Pairings: We paired our bucatini with spicy crab with a shredded fennel and radish salad and red wine. We went with a California Zinfandel – I’m making a study of zinfandel this month.
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Bucatini with Spicy Crab
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 40
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: pasta
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This recipe is weeknight gourmet at its best!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, dice
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (or ½ tsp if your don’t want spicy)
- 1 tsp saffron threads
- ¾ cup clam juice
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomato
- 8 to 12 oz jumbo lump crab meat
- chopped parsley, about ½ cup
- grated parmesan, about ¼ cup
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottom skillet. Add shallots and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium low heat. Add pepper flakes and saffron threads and cook another minute.
- Add the clam juice and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute and then add tomato paste and crushed tomato. Simmer uncovered over low heat heat for 30 minutes.
- While sauce simmers, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the al dente instructions on the box. Drain pasta.
- Stir the crab meat into the sauce and heat through. Then add the pasta, tossing to coat.
- Adjust seasoning and serve. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
Keywords: pasta, bucatini, crab, italian
