Moooore creaaaaaaam.
I don’t know what’s gotten into me with all the dreamy creamy hoopla this week. Perhaps it’s a result of all the rain we got last weekend, causing our grass to green up a few shades, causing me to soar into spasticsphere for a mental hoedown, causing me to discover a rather new frisky side of myself.
You’re like, PLEASE DO NOT GO INTO IT. PLEASE DO NOT GO INTO IT.
Hey real quick – look at my scallion. You can see where the rubber band was tightly wrapped around it towards the top, like it’s a neck. And it makes me think of Dexter. Scallion crime scene!
You’re giving me that look again. I’ll move on.
It had been a few hours since I’d eaten pasta, so I was oooobviously starting to twitch and completely lose my mind. Aaron had picked up these fettuccine “nests” at the store while I was not washing my hair I think, so upon finding them in the pantry, I felt he basically paved the way for me to chirp, “little nests! little baby birdie pasta nests!” whilst flapping imaginary wings and pecking my imaginary beak into his jaw.
He disagreed.
And um, riddle me this. Have you ever added delicate jumbo lump crab meat (you have no idea how many times I’ve nearly typed crap) into a rich, creamy, fresh tomato sauce and twirled it around 45 pounds of fettuccine and flown it into your mouth like the frickin’ Air Force One?
Oh.
Oh hohohoh oh.
OH OH OHOHOHOHOH OH.
Your face wants to be riddled.
Creamy Tomato and Crab Fettuccine:
What it took for 2-4 (depending on how big you make your bowls, ahem):
* 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 Tbs. tomato paste
* 3 cups cherry tomatoes, blitzed in a food processor until smooth
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 5 basil leaves, torn
* 1 (6.5 oz) can jumbo lump crab meat
* 1/2 pound fettuccine
* pinch of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat oil in a medium sauce pan over medium high. Add the garlic and bloom 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and continue to press down with the spatula, blooming another 30 seconds.
Add the pureed tomatoes to the pot and whisk to combine. Add the basil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes.
Add the heavy cream and crab meat; simmer another 5 minutes.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fettuccine until al dente. Drain and add to the the sauce pot. Stir to combine. Taste it. Maybe another tiny pinch of salt? Sure, go ahead.
Serve garnished with the sliced scallions and freshly grated parmesan for a happy, happy life.
p.s. doesn’t it totally feel like Tuesday?
I want to swim laps in this! Keep the cream coming please
Fantastic combination…I bet the crab meat adds some delicious sweetness to this!
Crab in tomato sauce makes me think of summer. My Nana and Pop lived at the Jersey shore so crabbing was a huge part of summer there with them. Nana would make huge pots of fresh crabs cooked in spaghetti sauce w/ pasta. It was a huge mess of yummy goodness that I still dream about.
Ok, so my version is different but yours is MUCH easier. I’m very excited to try this. =)
I think I am missing out on this Dexter thing. Everyone seems to quote from it. Lovely overhead shot. Can’t wait to make this for my parents in a few weeks. lovely darling, just lovely
love how you said “while i was not washing my hair”…story of my life!
The only cure is more cowbell! I’m losing it. I blame your cream sauces and such.
Ohh myyy gooodness! Can’t wait to try this one – breaking it out at the next Italian dinner. Yummo!
“a few hours since I’ve eaten pasta” amen hahah.
So glad that yall got some rain!!! I hope you stay in the land of cream for a while it will help me feel less guilty that I can indulge with someone else.
Bev, will you move in with me?
This looks amazing! Now I’m hungry!
Gorgeous pics, Bev! Your savory photos inspire me and the tomatoes, mmm, love them. And those cute stacks of wrapped noodles…adorable!
And I just so happen to have a can of crab in my fridge that keeps asking me when I’m going to use it! Score! Thanks for the yummy sounding recipe (and I have no problem with more cream
Creamy, dreamy, yep I love it!
All I can think about is swimming in those noodles and cream. That’s it. I’m done for the day.
Oh heavens, I could LIVE in that bowl!
i love your little balls of fettuccine!! this pasta is beyond words. creamy and crabby – uh, i’m in love.
There are so many great things about this!! Creamy, crab, pasta…yum!!
crab in pasta, hubby would be killing me for not making this for dinner tonight.
This is definitely my kind of dish! I can’t wait to try this for Jason when he comes back to LA!
Ok, so Rachael Ray uses those pasta nests all of the time, and it kills me that I can find them NOWHERE. I want them! And this pasta dish!!
This sounds like the most delicious recipe to use up my cherry tomatoes!
That is so gorgeous and looks so delicious!
your directions call for blooming the garlic – pardon my ignorance (and obviously cooking ignorance, but I have no idea what that means!! Someone clue me in.
Oh no prob, Catherine! I use the word “blooming” is it means “to become fragrant”, and as garlic really doesn’t need longer than 30 seconds to sauté before it starts to brown and burn, I just use that word. But yeah, sauté for 30 seconds!
Hope that helps!
You make me laugh the way you write this! Looks yummy!! =)”
Simply adore this pasta, Bev!
I am from the south. what does bloom mean?
Hi, Kaky!
I just meant sauté it! Since garlic doesn’t take more than 30 seconds to become fragrant (bloom) before burning, I use that word. I hope that helped!
This pasta dish sounds so simple and yet so good!
Quick question, can one replace the canned crab meat with those vacuum packed imitation crab meat? Ive only ever had that or fresh crab but never canned so I don’t know what to expect from using canned crab in terms of taste and texture. Thanks for the delicious looking recipe!
Made this last night and it’s pretty good. I like the first picture that has the scallions on it, because I think that would have been a great addition (too bad they weren’t in the ingredient list so I left them out). I also think maybe a little red pepper flakes would be really good in this too.
What type of wine would go with this? I’m going to surprise my lova with this day after tomorrow. Your recipes create babies. Thanks!
Hahahaha! I seriously spit out my coffee at “your recipes create babies.” Okay so do you mean what kind of wine to drink with it? My personal fave would be a good Sauv Blanc, to kind of go with the crab. It’s crisp, dry, grassy, and I want to make out with it, like all the time. But if you’re a red drinker, I’d go with something a little light, to counter the slight heaviness of the dish – maybe a Pinot Noir? Let me know what you end up doing!