Bucatini with Dungeness Crab

From The Feast of Seven Fishes 

This amazingly rich and luxurious pasta dish comes from Rocky Maselli, executive chef at A16 Rockridge. It’s simple to prepare and offers a great way to showcase Dungeness crab. Chef Maselli says that if you take the time to buy whole crabs and clean them yourself, you can collect the crab fat to incorporate into this sauce. “It will add even more sweet Dungeness crab flavor to this pasta, elevating it from luxurious to decadent,” he says.

Photo by Stacy Ventura

Yield: 4 portions

  • 1¼ cups Dungeness crab meat
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • Pinch chile flakes
  • 1½ cups San Marzano tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 pound bucatini pasta
  • ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
  • Zest of 1 Meyer lemon plus juice
  • Salt as needed

Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Gently sauté the garlic until it starts to take on a golden brown color. Then remove and discard the garlic.

Add chile flakes to the pan, cooking briefly before adding the tomatoes. Cook until the sauce thickens. Reduce heat and add the crab meat (plus crab fat, if you have it).

Cook bucatini in a generous amount of boiling, salted water until al dente, drain, and toss with the crab sauce.

Sprinkle in the chopped parsley, add lemon zest, and toss again. Adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice and serve.