This Dungeness Crab Capellini is a light and elegant seafood pasta filled with sweet, buttery crab, crispy bacon, shallot, lemon and fresh herbs. A splash of cream brings everything together without making the sauce heavy, and the entire dish is ready in 20 minutes.
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Dungeness crab is native to the northwest and loved for its rich buttery taste. It’s one of my absolute favorite seafood indulgences. Every bite takes me back to days of fishing and crabbing on the family boat. Our pots were always full of crab and it was my job to crack them and pick out the meat for dinner. The hard part was trying not to eat it all during the process!
If you don’t have access to a boat, you can find Dungeness crab in most seafood sections of your grocery store or already shelled at Costco. Locals be sure to stop by one of Taylor Shellfish Farm locations and grab your fresh crab. It’s worth the trip!
Why You’ll Love This Dungeness Crab Capellini
- Ready in only 20 minutes
- Filled with sweet, buttery Dungeness crab
- Light and creamy without heavy sauce
- Elegant enough for date night or entertaining
- An easy way to showcase fresh crab
What You’ll Need for Dungeness Crab Capellini
Shop this recipe at Amazon to find any items with a link.
- Dungeness Crab – Rich and buttery crab local to the PNW.
- Capellini – Similar to angel hair pasta – Find it on Amazon.
- Bacon – A few strips of good bacon.
- Shallot – I love the flavor of shallot in a light pasta like this.
- Oil – Olive oil or avocado oil works best.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Just a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little kick – Find it on Amazon.
- Vermouth – A splash of cooking wine brings out the flavor of the crab.
- Cream – Heavy cream or whipping cream.
- Herbs – Fresh chives and basil.
- Salt – Smoked salt if you have it – Find it on Amazon.
Make It Your Way
Can’t find Dungeness crab? Use good-quality lump crab meat instead.
Angle hair pasta works beautifully in place of capellini.
Dry white wine can replace vermouth.
For the herbs, parsley or tarragon can be substituted for chives and basil.
Dungeness Crab Capellini
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Dungeness crab meat
- 4 oz. capellini pasta cooked al dente according to directions.
- 4 strips bacon cut into lardons (strips)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lg. shallot sliced thinly
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup vermouth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp. fresh chives chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil torn
- 1 pinch smoked salt
- 1 lemon cut in wedges
Instructions
- Cook capellini al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Cook bacon lardons in large sauté pan over medium-high heat until browned. Remove from pan, wipe out grease and return pan to stove.
- Add 2-3 tbsp. olive oil to pan, add shallot and stir, add red pepper flakes and vermouth, let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add half of the reserved pasta water. If it evaporates quickly, add remaining reserved pasta water. Turn heat to medium-low and add crab meat and heavy cream, stirring gently to combine.
- Fold in capellini, fresh chives and basil. Season with smoked salt. Serve with lemon wedges.
SALTY OWL TIP
Cook the capellini only until al dente because the delicate pasta can become soft quickly. Warm the crab gently after adding it to the sauce so it remains tender. Reserve some pasta water before draining – the starch helps the cream, vermouth and olive oil coat the pasta evenly.
More Seriously Good Recipes
Pasta is the perfect way to showcase your fresh seafood. Try these other recipes like this Seafood and Sweet Corn Pasta that highlights summer peas and corn. Mushroom lover? This Shiitake and Scallop Fettuccini is really good with crunchy breadcrumb topping. Possibly my favorite seafood dish is this Manila Clams with Angel Hair. It’s a fun date night dinner.
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