Crab Spaghetti with Tomato & Caper Sauce

Sweet crab meat tossed through spaghetti in a light tomato and caper sauce with chilli and lemon — a quick, elegant Italian-style supper that lets good crab do the talking. On the table in twenty minutes.

Why this works

• A light, quick tomato sauce keeps the focus on the sweet crab rather than burying it.
• Capers, chilli and lemon bring salt, heat and acidity that make the crab sing.
• Finishing the pasta in the sauce with a little cooking water binds everything into a glossy coat.

Ingredient notes and swaps

• Crab meat — a mix of white and brown; the brown adds richness and depth.
• Spaghetti or linguine — long pasta suits a light seafood sauce.
• Fresh or good tinned tomatoes — cooked just until saucy, not stewed.
• Capers and chilli — the seasoning that lifts the crab.
• Lemon and parsley — for brightness at the end; skip the Parmesan with crab.

Crab Spaghetti with Tomato & Caper Sauce

Favourite Favourited

Punchy fresh flavours in a good-for-you-dish are often what you need for a midweek boost. This pasta dish has it all.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Start Cooking

Prep Time 26 minutes mins

Cook Time 34 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 2 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 1030

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 100g Pancetta
• 1 Tbsp Rapeseed Oil
• 3 Garlic Cloves, peeled and crushed
• 8 vine ripened Tomatoes, chopped
• 400g tin Chopped Tomatoes
• 200ml Fish Stock
• 1 Red Onion, peeled, trimmed and left whole
• 1 Green Chilli, deseeded and chopped
• Pinch Saffron
• 0.5 Tsp Sugar
• 400g Spaghetti
• 300g White Crab Meat
• 100g Brown Crab Meat
• 25g Parsley, leaves picked and chopped
• 3 Tsp Capers, rinsed and chopped
• Knob of Butter
• Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method

 

1. Fry the Pancetta in a large saucepan over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until fat rendered
2. Reduce the heat and add the Rapeseed Oil and Garlic
3. Cook gently for 2 minutes
4. Add the fresh chopped Tomatoes, tinned Tomatoes and Fish Stock.
5. Simmer for 5 minutes
6. Add the whole Red Onion, Chilli, Saffron and Sugar and simmer gently for 10 minutes with the lid on
7. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the Spaghetti according to packet instructions
8. Stir the Crab Meat into the Tomato Sauce and simmer for 2 minutes
9. Add the Parsley and Capers and cook for a further 2 minutes
10. Remove the whole Onion and discard
11. Drain the Spaghetti and add to the Tomato Sauce along with a knob of Butter
12. Stir well to coat the Spaghetti with the sauce
13. Transfer to serving plates

Nutrition

Calories: 1030kcalCarbohydrates: 89gProtein: 63gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 17gSodium: 2160mgFiber: 13gSugar: 24g

Notes

Make sure your heat isn't too high when rendering the pancetta, as you want to slowly release the fat and achieve a lovely crispness without burning it. Patience here will pay off in a richer flavour.
Leaving the red onion whole during simmering allows its sweetness to infuse the sauce without it becoming overwhelming or disappearing. Remember to remove it completely before serving, as it's just there for flavour, not texture.
Be careful not to overcook the crab meat; it's delicate and can become rubbery if simmered for too long. A brief two-minute warm-through is all it needs to integrate with the sauce beautifully.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Tips for success

• Do not overcook the sauce — a fresh, light tomato flavour suits the crab best.
• Save some pasta water to loosen and bind the sauce.
• Add the crab at the very end and warm through gently so it stays tender.
• Resist the cheese — lemon and parsley are the right finish here.

Make ahead, storage and reheating

• Best fresh — this is a quick, cook-to-order dish.
• Get ahead — make the tomato sauce ahead and warm it while the pasta cooks.
• Storage — leftovers keep a day; gentle reheating only.

What to serve it with

• With a green salad and a glass of crisp Italian white.
• Good bread to catch the last of the sauce.

FAQ

Fresh or tinned crab? Fresh dressed crab is best; good tinned or pasteurised crab works well too.

Should I add Parmesan? Traditionally no — cheese is usually left off seafood pasta so as not to mask the crab.

How do I keep the crab tender? Add it at the very end and warm through gently; do not let it boil.

Try these next

Build big flavour from a well-stocked store cupboard

Prawn and Salmon TagliatelleServes 2 · Prep 17m · Cook 30mPrawn and Scallop RisottoServes 4 · Prep 19m · Cook 19m