Crab and Lemon Linguine with Pangrattato
Bright with a hint of lemon and chilli, this crab & lemon linguine with pangrattato (crispy breadcrumbs) from Ainsley Harriott will be a lovely addition to your summer pasta repertoire.
Introduction
This is a quick and easy pasta dish that’s so summery and light. Crab has a lovely delicate flavour that works well with lemon and a hint of chilli. Fresh crabmeat is best, but you can use a packet or even tinned for this recipe if you can’t get hold of any. The zesty breadcrumb topping adds a lovely crispy texture.When you fancy a change you can swap the crab for a tin of good-quality tuna.
Ingredients
| 200g | dried linguine pasta |
| 3 tbsp | extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling |
| 2 | garlic cloves, finely chopped |
| 1 | medium-hot red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped |
| 30ml | dry white wine (optional) |
| zest and juice of 1 lemon | |
| 150g | cooked white crabmeat |
| 1 tbsp | chopped flat-leaf parsley |
| sea salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| For the breadcrumb topping | |
|---|---|
| 1 | thick slice of day-old bread |
| zest of ½ lemon | |
| 2 tsp | olive oil |
| 1 tbsp | chopped flat-leaf parsley |
Essential kit
You will need: a mini food processor and a deep-sided frying pan.
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
First, make the breadcrumb topping. Pulse the slice of bread with the lemon zest in a mini food processor until you have coarse breadcrumbs. Add the olive oil and parsley and pulse once or twice until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Spread out on a baking tray and bake for 7–10 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water, and drizzle with olive oil to prevent it sticking.
In a deep-sided frying pan over a low heat, add the extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and chilli and cook for 1 minute until fragrant and starting to sizzle but not brown. Turn up the heat to medium and add the wine (if using) and a squeeze of lemon juice. Allow to bubble for 1 minute then reduce the heat back to low-medium. Stir in the crab meat, 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, the lemon zest and another good squeeze of juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook gently for a minute until the crab is warmed through. Tip in the pasta and toss over the gentle heat until well coated in the sauce, adding a little more reserved pasta water if needed. Stir through the parsley and check for seasoning. Serve immediately, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and topped with the crispy breadcrumbs.
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