You can make this crab pasta in a simple lemon butter sauce with garlic and white wine in just a few minutes. It tastes great and doesn’t require many ingredients.
If you are a seafood lover, try our Shrimp Scampi Linguine, which is just as quick and delicious.
If you travel around Italy, you’ll discover seafood pasta a favourite. The long coastline of Italy means that there are a lot of seafood pasta recipes to choose from. Many of us will immediately think of the classic Frutti di Mare from Venice.
As you can see, most of these seafood dishes use long pasta shapes, like the linguine I picked out here. You can also coat long strands of pasta with the oil and flavor from seafood, which makes the meal more enjoyable.
For this recipe, I’ve gone with crab. While you can eat crab any time of the year, the best time to find it is at the end of summer. There are many ways to cook it, but my favorite is to add it to pasta.
You don’t need much crab meat for this recipe to taste great, which is great because it can be pricey.
Linguine and cooked crab make this pasta dish one of the easiest and fastest you will ever make. In the summer, I love having a lot of quick recipes on hand because I don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen when it’s nice outside!
A beautiful hot crab and roasted corn dip is another quick and easy family favorite made with crab. Perfect for dunking!.
However, if you are up for a little challenge, make my luxurious seafood lasagna. The recipe uses a variety of seafood, crab included, a luscious béchamel sauce and fresh lasagna pasta sheets. Pure indulgence!.
Let’s talk about this crab linguine that was made with white wine, garlic, butter, lemon, and Parmesan cheese. The simplest ingredients that produce remarkable taste.
Crab meat is a delicious and versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes. From appetizers to main courses, crab meat adds a sweet, briny flavor to any meal. If you have some crab meat on hand and aren’t sure how to use it, this article will provide 23 amazing crab recipes to add to your repertoire.
An Abundance of Crab Meat Recipes
Crab is available year-round but it is in season during the summer months when crabs are most active. There are many types of crab that can be used in recipes including blue crab king crab, snow crab, and Dungeness crab. The meat comes from the claws and the body of the crab. It is commonly sold fresh or canned.
When buying fresh crab meat, opt for chunks rather than shredded crab meat which can become stringy when cooked Canned crab meat works well in most recipes too Just make sure to drain it well before using. Properly stored, fresh crab meat will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator while canned crab meat can be kept for 4-5 days after opening.
From soups and salads to comforting casseroles and crab cakes, the possibilities are endless when cooking with crab. Here are 23 amazing crab recipes to inspire you:
1. Crab and Shrimp Étouffée
This Southern classic stew features a thick spicy sauce made with a roux and crab stock. Tender shrimp and crab meat pair beautifully with the peppery étouffée sauce. It’s traditionally served over white rice.
2. Seafood Boil with Cajun Seasoning
A low country boil is a fun, hands-on meal where shellfish like crab legs or claws are boiled in a seasoned broth. Corn, potatoes, and sausage are also added to this hearty one-pot meal. Dipping the seafood in melted butter or cocktail sauce is a must!
3. Garlic Crab Pasta
Buttery, garlicky, and loaded with crab – this linguine dish is utter perfection. Sautéed crab meat is tossed with pasta in a lemony white wine sauce. Parmesan cheese and parsley add even more flavor.
4. Cioppino with Fennel and Saffron
Cioppino is a fisherman’s stew originating from San Francisco. This recipe is made with fennel, wine, and saffron for a robust flavor. King crab legs, shrimp, clams, and fish go into this hearty seafood stew.
5. Blue Crab Beignets
Think crab cake meets beignet! These crab fritters are dusted in powdered sugar for a sweet touch. The floral notes from the elderflower liqueur also complement the sweet crab meat beautifully.
6. Crab Salad Sandwich
A crab salad sandwich is a lighter take on the classic lobster roll. Flaked crab is mixed with celery, onion, mayo, and spices. It’s served chilled inside a split-top bun.
7. Crispy Crab Cakes with Tomato Butter
Pan-fried crab cakes have a crisp exterior and moist, flaky interior. Topping them with tomato butter adds even more richness. Old Bay and parsley flavor the crab cake mixture.
8. Cold Crab Spaghetti
Also called crab spaghettini, this vibrant dish features strands of pasta tossed with fresh tomatoes, crab meat, parsley, olive oil, and lemon. It’s simple, light, and perfect for summer.
9. Mexican Crab Soup
This quick Mexican crab bisque is infused with smoky chipotle peppers. Sautéed vegetables, shrimp, crab, and cream make it rich and hearty. Top with cilantro, avocado, and lime.
10. Crab and Artichoke Dip
Hot crab dip is always a crowd-pleaser! This baked dip combines lump crab with marinated artichoke hearts, cream cheese, and Parmesan. Serve it with crackers or crusty bread.
11. Crab Lasagna
For a rich, decadent lasagna, alternate layers of noodles with a cheesy crab filling made of ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella. The addition of crab gives this baked pasta dish a luxurious flair.
12. Thai Crab Cakes
Thai-inspired crab cakes are flavored with red curry paste, cilantro, lime, and fish sauce. The sweet, flaky crab combined with the Thai flavors is to die for. They can be fried or baked.
13. Crab and Avocado Salad
The buttery avocado pairs perfectly with sweet crab chunks in this easy salad. Toss the crab with avocado, tomato, cucumber, lime juice and seasonings for a refreshing appetizer or light meal.
14. Creole Crab Dip
Get your dip on with this spicy, cheesy crab dip! Lump crab meat is combined with cream cheese, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, and cheddar. This hot crab dip is baked until golden and bubbly.
15. Broiled Crab Cakes
For a healthier crab cake, broil or bake them in the oven rather than frying in oil. These crab cakes are seasoned with Old Bay, lemon, and parsley for plenty of flavor.
16. Crab-Stuffed Flounder
Take your crab cakes and stuff them into fish fillets for an easy baked entree. Flounder fillets are topped with a crab cake mixture and baked in the oven until the fish flakes easily.
17. Crab Bisque
A velvety smooth pureed soup, crab bisque is made luxuriously rich with heavy cream. Onions, celery, wine, and crab stock add tons of flavor. Sweet crab meat garnishes the top.
18. Crab Fried Rice
Transform leftover rice into an Asian-inspired crab fried rice. Cooked rice is stir-fried with crab, egg, peas, carrots, onion, and soy sauce for a quick weeknight meal.
19. Crab Cobb Salad
For a protein-packed salad, top mixed greens with crab meat, hard-boiled egg, bacon, avocado, tomato, and blue cheese. The crab adds heartiness and flavor to this classic chopped salad.
20. Maryland Crab Cakes
An iconic East Coast recipe, Maryland crab cakes contain Old Bay seasoning and breadcrumbs to bind the lump crab meat. These crispy crab cakes should be pan-fried until golden brown.
21. Crab Stew
Slow cooked crab stew has serious comfort food appeal. Onions, potatoes, corn and seafood stock create the base with crab meat added at the end. The flavors meld together during the long, slow cooking.
22. Crab Salad Lettuce Wraps
For a low-carb lunch, serve crab salad in lettuce cups instead of bread. The crunchy lettuce leaves are the perfect vessel for the creamy chilled crab salad.
23. Crab and Cream Cheese Wontons
These crispy baked wontons are filled with a rich crab and cream cheese mixture. They make an easy party appetizer straight from the oven with no frying required.
Endless Possibilities with Crab
As you can see, crab meat can be used in countless dishes from breakfast to dinner and everything in between. Its versatility and mildly sweet flavor allows it to shine in recipes that are simple or gourmet. Follow these recipes exactly or use them as a jumping off point to create your own crab masterpieces.
From crab pasta tossed in lemon garlic butter to Maryland-style crab cakes and decadent crab dip, these 23 recipes offer limitless inspiration to make the most of crab meat. With this variety of appetizers, sandwiches, soups and entrées, you’ll never grow tired of cooking and eating delicious crab.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- As I already said, this recipe calls for fresh crab that has already been cooked. If you can get good crab, though, cooking the pasta dish yourself will make it taste even better!
- I used premium quality cooked crab from a deli. You can also use good crab from a can if that’s easier and cheaper. It doesn’t matter to me what kind of crab you use. King crab, brown crab…basically anything you can afford.
- There is always an option to get imitation crab. Though I love it, I have to say that even though I buy it a lot, it doesn’t really taste like crab to me. It’s lovely, just not crab.
- Butter, garlic slices, lemon juice, and a little dry white wine or even rosé wine make up the sauce for this pasta. At the end, I also grate some Parmesan cheese on top. In Italy, seafood pasta is never served with cheese, but I think it works in this dish!
- You should definitely grate the Parmesan cheese yourself. It will make a huge difference. Also you need to grate it finely. Things that have already been grated won’t melt into your pasta; they’ll get lumpy.
- This sauce would go well with either shrimp or scallops.
- The whole process takes about 15 minutes. It’s quick, easy and utterly delicious!.
If you are wondering what to serve alongside this dish, here are our suggestions.
You should try our Tuscan Panzanella Salad. The tangy dressing and ripe tomatoes will help balance out the rich garlic butter sauce on the crab pasta.
This Warm Zucchini Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette is another way to use the summer zucchini that you don’t have to make zucchini fritters or zucchini bread or muffins. It’s full of flavorful vegetables and comes together quickly.
And, of course, warm, fresh garlic bread goes great with pasta! I made mine in an air fryer to keep it quick and easy and to get a really crunchy crust.
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. The simplest way to warm them back up in a microwave.
I don’t recommend freezing pasta dishes. The process of freezing and thawing does the pasta no favours, and can leave it quite soggy.
What Can I Make With… Imitation Crab! | Cooking for Two | 4 Easy Recipes using Imitation Crabmeat
FAQ
What is crab meat good for?
What is the best way to eat crab meat?
What to eat with crab meat?
Sink your claws into something fresh and meaty with these sensational crab meat recipes. From creamy bisque and zesty pizza to cheesy quesadillas and timeless crab cakes, they do not disappoint. WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE? Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Crab meat is a versatile protein loaded with nutrients and flavor.
Are coconut crabs healthy to eat?
Crabs are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins like riboflavin and minerals like selenium, copper, phosphorus. Coconut crabs are not known to be poisonous. The fat in the abdomen and the egg inside the female are the delicious edible parts. It is prepared by steaming or boiling them in coconut milk. Consuming coconut crab along with sea mango, cerbera manghas may make the coconut crab toxic due to the presence of cardiac cardenolides(cardiac active steroids). This causes electrolyte imbalance that affects the electrical conductivity of the heart.
What can I make with a can of crabmeat?
Whether it’s lump crabmeat, crab claw meat, or some other kind, each of these recipes calls for crabmeat straight from the can, making them perfect pantry dinners. Find quick and affordable dishes to make with a can of crabmeat, such as Crab Dip, Southwestern Crab. Cakes, and Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms.
What are your favorite crab recipes?
Our collection of favorite crab recipes includes perfect Baltimore-style crab cakes, brioche crab melts, crab gumbo, crab pasta, crab salad, and more.