This recipe pays homage to N.E.A.R. Restaurant, the beloved Italian restaurant that I used to work at with my closest friends and family. We had a shrimp dish with tomatoes, butter, garlic and breadcrumbs that was so incredible. I didn’t intend for my recipe to mimic that dish but after the first bite I immediately recognized the flavors. Even if you don’t get the same feelings of nostalgia from eating this, you’ll still enjoy every bite! This recipe serves 2-3 people and takes about 15 minutes to make.
Ingredients:
- 10 oz Farfalle pasta
- 6 oz crab meat (fresh or canned)
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Lemon for 1/2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- Breadcrumbs as needed
Process:
- Cook pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile in a saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic to the butter and saute for about 30 seconds. Next add the tomatoes, lemon juice and crab meat. Stir and let simmer.
- When the pasta is finished cooking, add it to the pan with the tomatoes. Stir to combine and add the cream and a splash of pasta water. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens. Add breadcrumbs as needed and season with salt and pepper to taste. Note: Salt a little at a time and taste test before serving. This recipe uses butter and cream and will need more salt than usual.
- Serve with red pepper flakes and more black pepper if desired. Prosecco would be a great wine to pair with this as well!
