Yoo Eatz

If I have all day to spend in the kitchen, I will while away the hours creating some slow-cooked Asian or Mexican concoction: a niu rou mian stew or slow boiled-then-fried carnitas. But for quick dinners at home, my never-fail meal is pasta. A linguine con vongole can be whipped up in under an hour from prep to plate, and even a carbonara is quick if you fry the pancetta while cooking the pasta.

Tonight we tried a new recipe: spaghettini with sweet dungeness crab meat, salty prosciutto and tangy lemon. It was perfect with a rustic sourdough and arugula salad on the side.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. spaghettini
• 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
• 8 oz. lump Dungeness crab meat
• 1 1/2 c. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 3 oz. prosciutto, chopped crosswise

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions in boiling, salted water.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet, and add garlic, stirring regularly for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add lemon juice, zest, anchovy paste, and red pepper flakes, and cook until anchovy paste is dissolved.
3. Reserve 1/2 c. of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the pasta. Add pasta to the skillet with crab meat, parsley, and 1/4 c. pasta cooking liquid, and toss until combined.  Gradually add more cooking liquid to moisten if necessary, and cook for 4 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
4. Transfer to a large platter, and top with prosciutto. Drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with parsley sprigs.

Adapted from Bon Appetit