- 3
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or a little more
- 3 or 4 cloves garlic, slivered
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, or to taste
- 4 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound long pasta, like spaghetti or linguini
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Preparation
Step 1
1. In a very deep skillet or broad saucepan, warm the oil, garlic and chili flakes together over low heat; do not let the garlic brown. When the garlic is soft, at least 5 minutes, add the crabs (keep the heat low to medium low; the liquid in the pan should barely bubble) and cover. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
2. Let the crabs cook until they give up all their liquid and become firm, about 15 minutes. When the crabs are almost done, begin cooking the pasta. Remove the crabs when they're done, cut up with scissors, and return to the pot.
3. When the pasta is barely tender, a little short of how you'd want to eat it, drain it, reserving some of the cooking water. Toss the pasta over medium heat with the crabs and sauce, adding a bit of the cooking water and a little more oil if necessary. (The amount of each will depend on how much more cooking the pasta needs, and how much liquid the crabs exuded.) Add the parsley, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary, and, when the pasta is perfectly cooked, serve.