thebigfatnoodle

Friday was for fish: crab linguine with crispy sage and prosciutto

Posted by thebigfatnoodle on September 10, 2011 · 5 Comments 

Crab is GOOOOOOOD 🙂

friday was for fish: crab linguini with crispy sage and prosciutto

Bad enough I had to work late but after getting this dish prepared, photographed, eaten and then typed up, I couldn’t get my internet to work properly and now that I’m finally connected, it’s already Saturday! 🙂

It’s been a while since I posted one of my quick and easy 30 minute recipes and this one ticks all the right boxes as far as I’m concerned:

1)     it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare

2)     it was Friday and I love having seafood on Friday

3)     it’s really simple to make

4)     it’s a dish that will impress anyone, anytime

5)     it’s filling (because of the pasta) and yet light and clean in flavour so you don’t feel bloated afterwards

6)     Lastly, it’s probably the only pasta dish I don’t feel like smothering in cheese, which is always a good thing as far as our waistlines are concerned!

Crab linguine with crispy sage and prosciutto

9 times out of 10, I use tinned white crab meat in brine for this dish. You can of course make this with fresh crab meat but the tinned stuff really works just as well and is nowhere near as expensive.

The essential ingredients

I always keep a tin in the cupboard so when I’m pushed for time, which is on most days, I can come home and still whip up a meal that feels special; let’s face it, eating crab always feels like a bit of a luxury, at least to me!

Flash frying fresh sage leaves from our garden

And whenever I make this dish, it just conjures up lovely memories of being in the blazing sunshine somewhere by the Mediterranean sea, with a tray of fruits de mer to tuck into and an ice cold glass of white wine.

Wafer thin crispness

I have to admit that I decided to ponce it up a notch last night with two additional garnishes for the crab linguine. The first garnish is some crispy fresh sage leaves which I flash fried in butter and olive oil. The fresh leaves came straight from our garden and I used both the purple and the variegated sage we grow. We have plenty of sage, more than we’ll ever get through before winter sets in so this was a great way to put them to good use.

The second garnish is some wafer thin prosciutto ham which I’ve just pan fried (no oil required as it releases its oil anyway). My husband’s a big carnivore (so am I) and while he loves seafood, he never really feels full unless he’s had meat to eat. But by frying the prosciutto, which is wafer thin anyway, it intensifies the flavour and makes it crisp and brittle. As it’s really a garnish, you only use 1-2 slices per person and it really does help quell any further craving for meat. I also find that the salty brittleness of the ham actually helps bring out the sweetness of the crab when you start eating the pasta afterwards.

Yummy, yummy crab gently warming in a bath of white wine and lemon juice

I’m hoping to create many more 30 minute meals over the next few months, mostly out of sheer necessity. As everyone can start looking forward to Halloween and then to Christmas, I’m gearing up for the busiest time of my working life. While I’d much rather be cooking, I sadly won’t have much time so I’ll just have to get more creative (and efficient) in the kitchen. Meantime, you can click here for this recipe if you’d like to try it.

30mins put to jolly good use 🙂

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Lots of love

Thebigfatnoodle