Thursday, May 24, 2012

Tomato crab pasta: a recipe

tomato crab pasta
Tomato crab pasta
As if we could get through a week without a pasta recipe...

Earlier in the week we had a miracle breakthrough and Mr. Ninj ate asparagus. Well, cream of asparagus soup with crab, but it was still a miracle.

But that left me with some leftover crab and I didn't want to waste it.

Hello, Google.

I found this lovely tomato crab pasta recipe on, of all places, the PBS web site. Yep, PBS. See? Your donation during that pledge drive really paid off, tote bag or no tote bag.

This pasta is super easy to prepare and makes a perfect weeknight dinner. It actually reminded me quite a bit of the Mediterranean Tuna Pasta but less intense. In fact, if you were put off by the tuna recipe because you aren't a big fan of olives or anchovies, I bet you would love this crab pasta -- its flavors are a bit milder but still delicious.

I think next time I might add some capers.

I'm also willing to bet that you already have most of the ingredients on hand right now to whip this up tonight.

tomato crab pasta


That's what makes it a great choice for a weeknight dinner.

How would you change this one up to match your family's preferences?


Tomato Crab Pasta (barely adapted from a recipe by Marc Matsumoto of No Recipes via PBS)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - 3/4 cup diced onion
3/4 - 1 cup bell pepper, diced
14-ounce can stewed tomatoes (if whole, chop tomatoes in the can using kitchen shears)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
5 ounces lump crab (or one can, usually between 5-7 ounces)
handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped (plus a bit more for garnish)
10 ounces whole wheat spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions
Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a large pan heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper and garlic and saute until soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, paste, salt and pepper; cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

(Cook your pasta while the sauce simmers.)

Uncover and stir in the crab and the parsley. Combine with hot pasta and mix well. Serve garnished with generous amount of parmesan cheese.


2 comments:

  1. Why wouldn't PBS have lots of amazing recipes? Their cooking shows are the grandparents of modern food tv! And of course that past looks lovely. :)

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  2. It's not that I wouldn't expect PBS to be a good source, it's just that, in this heady food time we're living in, I didn't expect it to beat out all the food blogs, cooking channels, chef web sites, magazines, etc. in a Google search. :-)

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