Linguine with Crab & Cream (Linguine Alla Polpa di Granchio) from Caldesi in Campagna, Bray

Cook at Home

Over to the enigmatic Giancarlo Caldesi to introduce this one:

I always like to buy fresh crab meat when I am by the coast in the UK or Italy. The combination of a little dark meat with the white is superb and gives a richer texture and fuller flavour than the white alone. The strength of the crab can then take the kick of chilli as well as the mellowing effect of the cream. Serve this sauce with dried pasta such as linguine or with fresh tagliatelle.
Giancarlo Caldesi

Serves

4 as a main course
or 6 as a starter

Prep Time

15 mins

Cooking Time

10 mins

Ingredients

For the pasta sauce

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
100g (31⁄2 oz) brown crab meat
300g (101/2 oz) white crab meat
100ml (31⁄2 fl oz/scant 1⁄2 cup) Prosecco or white wine
4 tbsp double (heavy) cream
320g (111⁄2 oz) dried linguine

For the battuto

large handful of parsley, roughly chopped, plus 2 tbsp finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
fresh red chilli, finely chopped, to taste, or 1⁄4 tsp dried chilli flakes
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Back to restaurant

Method

Make the pasta sauce

Firstly make a battuto with the 2 tablespoons of parsley, garlic, chilli, and a pinch of salt and pepper by finely chopping them together on a board with a sharp knife.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat and fry the battuto for 3 minutes, until the garlic just starts to soften but doesn’t burn.
Add the cherry tomatoes and crab meat and fry for a couple of minutes.
Increase the heat and pour in the Prosecco or white wine and allow it to evaporate for a few minutes until the strong smell of alcohol has gone.
Pour in the cream and shake the pan to blend it into the sauce.
Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.
Remove from the heat and set aside.

For the pasta

Cook the pasta until just al dente.
Take 2 tablespoons of water from the pasta saucepan and add it to the sauce in the frying pan.
Drain the pasta and put this in too. Add the remaining parsley and toss or stir through briefly.
Serve straight away in warmed bowls.

What is a ‘battuto’? This is a finely chopped mixture of flavours, or aromi as the Italians would call it. It is a savoury base used to flavour sauces, casseroles, fish, roast meats or simply dusted onto toasted bread with oil. The herbs are chopped finely together with garlic and seasoning before being added to olive oil in a pan. In mountainous regions where olive trees can’t grow, pork fat is used for frying and this is chopped with the herbs to form a paste.

Caldesi in Campagna, Old Mill Lane, Bray, Berkshire, SL6 2BG

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