Crab and Vegetable Pasta

An elegant crab and pasta dinner suitable for Valentines day or a romantic dinner. Crab with a creamy sauce tossed with vegetables over linguine.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  fresh cooked  crabs or 16  ounces  of picked over  crabmeat
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 3  shallots, finely sliced
• 1  tablespoon  minced garlic
• 1⁄2 fennel bulb, finely sliced
• 1  carrot, thinly sliced
• 1  leek, thinly sliced (use white and lightgreen parts)
• 1  sprig tarragon
• 1⁄4 cup  sauvignon blanc wine or 1⁄4 cup  pinot grigio wine (unoaked white wine)
• 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8  ounces linguine
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt
• 1  pinch pepper
•  parsley (to garnish) (optional)

Directions

1. Refrigerate crab meat until ready to use.
2. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and saute shallots and garlic in olive oil.
3. Add fennel, carrot, leek, and tarragon.
4. Cook until vegetables begin to soften.
5. Add wine and cook until reduced by a quarter.
6. Add cream and butter and add crab meat and cook until heated.
7. Boil pasta in salted water and drain.
8. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water to add to vegetable and crab mixture, add pasta water to desired consistency.
9. Toss vegetable and crab mixture with linguine and add salt and pepper to taste.
10. May substitute shrimp for crab.