Bucatini & Crab

My children are passionate about their pasta and this happens to be one of their favorites. I don’t think a week goes by without at least one dinner being pasta. This dish really reminds me of my times cooking with them and just enjoying a meal together.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound bucatini

  • 8 ounces crab

  • 4 ounces butter

  • 14 ounces canned plum tomatoes

  • 3 ounces tomato paste

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 3 ounces onion

  • 3 ounces fennel

  • 1 pinch chili flakes

  • 1/2 lemon

  • 1/4 cup basil

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cutting board

  • 1 chef knife

  • 1 paring knife

  • 1 can opener

  • 1 stock pot

  • 1 sauce pan

  • 1 colander

Cooking Instructions

  1. Finely dice onions and fennel and set aside.

  2. Mince garlic and set aside.

  3. In a small bowl hand crush plum tomatoes.

  4. In a small sauce pan over medium heat melt 1 ounce of butter, sweat garlic then add onion, fennel and chili flake. Cook until translucent.

  5. Add tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds, then add hand crushed plum tomatoes. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to a lazy bubble and cook for 20 minutes.

  6. In a stock pot bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil for pasta.

  7. Season the water with plenty of salt.

  8. Add pasta, stirring to ensure that it does not stick together.

  9. Cook until al dente.

  10. Once the pasta has cooked strain in colander, but reserve 1 cup of cooking water.

  11. Return pasta to the stock pot, add tomato sauce from sauce pan, crab meat. Bring to a simmer.

  12. Add butter and stir until cream. Adjust consistency of needed with reserved water.

  13. Season with salt, pepper, basil and lemon juice.