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Restaurant-Style Creamy Crab Linguine

A close-up serving of creamy crab pasta, featuring spaghetti tossed in a light sauce and topped generously with flaked crab meat and fresh parsley.
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Make this luxurious, restaurant-style crab linguine at home. It features tender lump crab meat tossed in a quick, rich garlic butter cream sauce, perfect for a special weeknight seafood dinner.

Ingredients

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  • 1 pound linguine pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 pound lump crab meat, picked over for shells
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook the linguine according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining. Set the drained pasta aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the minced garlic and chopped shallot. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
  3. Pour in the white wine and let it simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  4. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and let it warm through for about 3 minutes. Do not let it boil rapidly.
  5. Gently fold in the lump crab meat, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Add the cooked linguine to the skillet. Toss to coat everything evenly. If the sauce seems too thick, add the reserved pasta water, a splash at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
  7. Stir in half of the fresh parsley.
  8. Divide the crab linguine among serving bowls. Garnish with the remaining fresh parsley and extra grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • For a Cajun crab pasta twist, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning along with the garlic and shallots.
  • If you prefer a lighter sauce, substitute half of the heavy cream with whole milk, though the texture will be less rich.
  • Use high-quality lump crab meat for the best flavor in this simple seafood pasta recipe.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://juliameal.com/easy-crab-pasta-restaurant-style-linguine/