Info
- Course: Appetizer, Hot Appetizer, Main Course
- Skill Level: Easy
- Cost: Moderate
- Favorited: 28 Times
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Linguine with Chilli, Crab and Watercress
Cookbook
You know, I’d eaten this a couple of times and made it myself (throwing in handfuls of peppery watercress as I did so) a few more before I realized it was, give or take, London’s River Cafe’s recipe—by which I mean to say that although the amounts and full list of ingredients vary, it is an English seaside version of their fabulous original. I suppose that’s how you know something’s become a classic: it just seeps its way into the culinary language.
Crab is, I think, hugely underrated—so much better than most lobster, and much cheaper. You can use frozen crabmeat for this, but it’s best to get a fishmonger to cook and pick out the meat for you.
Don’t let the fact that a pestle and mortar is indicated put you off: this is fabulously easy to make.
Yield : Serves 6 as a starter; 4 as a main course.
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 scant tablespoon Maldon or other sea salt
- 1 large red chilli
- 2 pounds 11 ounces undressed crab, to give you 7 ounces white meat and 4 ounces darker meat
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 pound linguine
- Handful fresh parsley, chopped
- Handful watercress leaves, roughly torn
Directions
Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.
In a large pestle and mortar pulverize the peeled garlic cloves with the salt, so that it makes a smooth paste. Then add the chopped and seeded chilli and crush again until you have a gloriously red-tinged mixture. Tip in the crabmeat, breaking it up gently with a fork, and pour in the oil. Zest the lemon into the mortar and then add the juice.
Using a fork, beat well to mix, and then you are ready to cook your pasta. So do so, and then drain the pasta and tip into a warmed serving bowl. Immediately pour over the crab sauce and toss the pasta about in it, then throw in the parsley and watercress and toss again.
© 2003 Nigella Lawson
Nutritional Information
Nutrients per serving
This recipe serves 6.
603 kcal
1471 mg
59 g
4 g
21 g
0 g
3 g
14 g
3 g
139 mg
2 g
42 g
107 mg
831 mg
1 % daily value
46 % daily value
20 % daily value
16 % daily value
