Crab Tagliatelle with Lemon, Chili, Tomato Butter & Baby Tomato

Crab Tagliatelle makes for a simple yet stunning dinner, perfect for a cozy date night at home or a dinner party main course. Adding the roasted tomatoes in two stages creates a flavorful sauce while also providing texture and a burst of flavor.

If you’re preparing both the tomato butter and this pasta on the same day, roast all the cherry tomatoes together to save time. Once the tomatoes for the pasta are blistered, remove them, and let the rest continue roasting for the compound butter.

Crab Tagliatelle with Lemon, Chili, Tomato Butter & Baby Tomato
serves 2

shopping list —

• 8 oz cherry tomatoes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 1 shallot, minced

• crushed red pepper, cayenne, or espelette

• a few splashes of white wine to deglaze, optional

• 8 oz tagliatelle (about 4 oz dried pasta per person)

• 8 oz lump crab meat

• 3-4 tbsp tomato butter

• 1 lemon for zesting and juicing

equipment —

• heavy bottomed pot

• saute pan or skillet

steps —

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Season the cherry tomatoes with salt, sugar, and oil. Roast until the tomatoes are blistered but still juicy.

2. Bring water up to a boil and season generously with salt. Cook the pasta just shy of al dente. Reserve 1-2 cups of the pasta water before straining.

   *Undercooking the pasta allows you to finish it in the sauce. The tagliatelle will absorb the sauce as it cooks, making it more flavorful. The starches released from the pasta (and in the pasta water) also help thicken the sauce, ensuring the pasta is perfectly coated.

3. Meanwhile, add olive oil and sliced garlic in a pan and toast over medium heat until just barely golden and fragrant — avoid browning. Lower the heat and add the minced shallot. Sweat for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add crushed red pepper and three quarters of the blistered tomatoes. Add a few splashes of white wine (if using) and reduce. Then add about 1 cup of the reserved pasta water and bring up to a simmer (if you’re not using wine, skip to adding the pasta water). Let the tomatoes cook down, gently smashing them with the back of a spoon.

5. Toss in the tagliatelle, the rest of the tomatoes, and the crab, and let the pasta finish cooking.

6. Add the tomato butter, and toss or carefully stir until the pasta and sauce come together. If the sauce is too thin, cook over medium high heat until it reduces. If it’s too thick, add a splash more pasta water.

7. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, lemon zest, freshly cracked black pepper, and serve with crusty bread.