Having lived in Maryland for five years, I have had no shortage of crab in my life, but I found myself wanting to try something new. What happens when a time-honored seafood appetizer gets flipped into a hearty, comforting meal? With all the flavors of a classic crab cake, this pasta dish is sure to liven up your dinner table.
This recipe features my Old Bay Ritz cracker crumbs. These crumbs are wickedly crunchy and savory. They give a great salty bite to this pasta dish, but you may find yourself just wanting to snack on these crackers.
Ingredients
1 (16 oz.) box fettuccine
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, divided
1 shallot, finely diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced (whites/light greens and dark greens separated)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups heavy cream
Salt, to taste
1 lb. lump crab meat
1 lemon, for serving
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water; drain and set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add crushed Ritz crackers and 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes, until golden brown. Be careful to not let the crackers burn. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Add shallot and scallions (white and light green parts only) and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
- Whisk in heavy cream and remaining 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning. Bring to a gentle boil then lower heat and allow to simmer for about 4 minutes. Stir in crab and cook for another 2 minutes. Season sauce with salt or additional Old Bay to taste. Keep in mind that Old Bay is very salty, so the sauce may not need additional seasoning.
- Add drained pasta and reserved pasta water and stir to coat the pasta with the sauce. Serve with toasted Ritz cracker crumbs, reserved dark green scallions, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Catie Cooks 