Spaghetti with Fresh Crab & Cherry Tomatoes

Spaghetti with Fresh Crab & Cherry Tomatoes

This dish takes me back to a random brunch spot I visited in Sydney back in 2020. They served spaghetti with fresh crab meat, and the sauce was so simple yet so memorable—garlic, olive oil, the sweetness of fresh seafood, and just a few cherry tomatoes. It wasn’t a heavy tomato-based sauce, but it was still incredibly delicious. Today, I decided to recreate that memory at home with my own version.

Ingredients (serves up to 2)

• 4 fresh crabs (steam ~20 minutes, let cool, pick out the meat; leftovers can be saved for another dish)

• A handful of spaghetti (boil in salted water for about 6 minutes until al dente; drain and rinse briefly under cold water. Save a small ladle of pasta water.)

• 5–7 cherry tomatoes, halved

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 small shallot, minced

• Chili, minced (to taste)

• Olive oil

• 1 tsp unsalted butter

• A few drops of lemon juice

• Sea salt

• 1 tbsp chopped parsley (divide in half: ½ for the sauce, ½ for garnish)

Method

1. Prepare the crab: Steam crabs until cooked (~20 minutes). Let cool, then pick out the meat.

2. Cook the pasta: Boil spaghetti in salted water for about 6 minutes, until al dente. Drain, rinse quickly with cold water, and set aside. Keep a small ladle of pasta water.

3. Make the sauce:

   • In a pan, sauté garlic, shallot, and chili with olive oil until fragrant.

   • Add crab meat and stir quickly to bring out the aroma.

   • Add cherry tomatoes and cook for about 1 minute until just softened (don’t let them break down completely).

   • Pour in some pasta water to create a natural, silky sauce.

   • Toss in the spaghetti and cook for about 2 minutes so the pasta absorbs the flavors.

   • Finish with a knob of butter, sea salt, a few drops of lemon juice, and half of the chopped parsley. Toss gently.

4. Serve: Plate the pasta, garnish with the remaining parsley, and enjoy while warm.