This Creamy Chili Crab Pasta is anything but an average pasta dish. It’s creamy, spicy, garlicky, and has just the right amount of silky sauce!
What to Have Ready
Creamy chili crab pasta is all about layers of flavors and textures. It’s creamy, crunchy, spicy, salty, briny, and bright! A full list of ingredients with measurements is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Fettuccine Pasta – Wide noodles like fettuccine hold onto the creamy sauce beautifully.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – High-quality olive oil adds richness and it’s perfect for sauteeing the shallots and garlic.
- Shallot – Milder and slightly sweeter than a regular onion, shallots help to build the base of the sauce.
- Fresh Garlic – It’s garlic — you know the deal! It’s warm, pungent, and absolutely necessary for any good pasta dish.
- Grape Tomatoes – These add juicy bursts of sweetness and acidity that balance the spice and cream.
- Green Squash – Squash adds a little texture and color and a boost of nutrients, too!
- Fresh Red Chile Peppers – These are what give this pasta its name. Adjust how many you use depending on your spice tolerance, and be sure to remove the seeds unless you’re into serious heat.
- Reserved Pasta Water – Don’t skimp on this — it helps the sauce cling to the noodles.
- Heavy Cream – Cream makes everything velvety and indulgent.
- Pecorino Romano Cheese – Salty and sharp with just a little funk, this cheese balances out the sweetness of the crab and tomatoes. Be sure to grate it freshly for the best flavor and texture.
- Fresh Blue Crab Meat – Sweet, briny, and tender. Lump crab meat is best — it’s totally worth the splurge.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – Citrus is always an ideal companion for seafood and lemon helps to brighten up the sauce.
Crunchy Topping
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Use just a touch to toast the bread crumbs and help everything get a golden crunch.
- Seasoned Bread Crumbs – These add a crunchy texture and a little hit of herby flavor.
- Lemon Zest – The zest’s concentrated citrusy flavor wakes everything up.
- Coarse Kosher Salt – Use just enough to season the crumbs and bring out the flavor of the lemon and herbs.
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper – Pepper adds a bit of bite to balance the creamy pasta.
- Fresh Chives – Snip these up for a pop of green and a slightly oniony finish.
This is How We Do It
There’s something about building a sauce from scratch that just feels fancy — even when it’s actually pretty simple. You’re layering flavors, building textures, and ending up with a pasta dish that tastes like it came from your favorite restaurant.
- Toast the topping. Warm a little olive oil in a skillet, then toss in the bread crumbs, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Stir until they’re golden and fragrant.
- Boil the pasta. Cook the fettuccine in super salty water until just al dente. Scoop out a cup of the pasta water before draining. Toss the noodles with a little olive oil so they don’t stick together while you finish the sauce.
- Saute the base. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and saute the shallot until it softens up. Add the garlic, tomatoes, squash, and chopped chiles. Continue to cook for a few minutes until it’s aromatic.
- Make it creamy. Lower the heat and add the reserved pasta water along with the cream. Stir gently until the sauce starts to thicken and bubble slightly, then sprinkle in the cheese and let it melt into the mix.
- Add the crab, lemon, and pasta. Toss in the crab meat, lemon juice, and cooked pasta. Give everything a few gentle tosses so that the sauce clings to every noodle.
- Plate and serve. Plate the pasta, then top it with the crispy bread crumb mixture and a sprinkle of chives.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻🍳
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- Salt – Between the pasta water, cheese, and seasoned bread crumbs, there’s plenty of salty goodness to go around. It’s balanced out by the tomatoes and lemon so it never feels too much.
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- Seasoning – This dish has layers of flavor from the chiles, garlic, pepper, and lemon zest. Even though it’s not overly spiced, there’s plenty going on in this pasta!
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- Sauces – The cream sauce is silky and rich, but gets lightened up with lemon juice and the splash of pasta water.
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- Swaps – No crab? Try shrimp or even shredded chicken for something different. And if you can’t find red chiles, red pepper flakes work in a pinch — or you can add a tablespoon of them in addition to the red chiles for even more heat. Also, if you’re dairy-free, coconut cream and nutritional yeast can work well together in place of the cream and cheese. Want to transform the sauce into a creamy tomato-based version? Simply add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
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- Senses – This pasta smells like a waterfront kitchen in the best way, with garlic, lemon, and sweet crab all mingling together. The crunchy topping adds a satisfying contrast to the creamy noodles, and the heat from the chiles sneaks up for a kick of spiciness that rounds it all out.
What Goes Great With It
This creamy chili crab pasta has a lot of personality, so it doesn’t need too much in the way of side dishes! But a wedge salad or a kale salad with lemon dressing would be perfect if you’re looking to add in some veggies.
And don’t sleep on whipping up an easy bread to soak up that sauce! Try rosemary focaccia, brioche rolls, or homemade garlic knots.
Storage and Freezing
Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate them within two hours. You can toast the bread crumbs and chop all your veggies a day in advance. Then cook the pasta just before serving and bring it all together.
How to Store
Leftover pasta will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days. The sauce may thicken a little, so add a splash of milk or cream when reheating to loosen it up.
Can I Freeze Creamy Chili Crab Pasta
This recipe isn’t ideal for freezing — cream sauces and seafood change texturally after thawing.
Commonly Asked Questions
While this isn’t the best way to make the dish, you can use it if it’s what you have handy. Just be sure to drain it well and pick through it for any shell pieces.
Make sure you’re using enough reserved pasta water. The starchy water helps loosen the sauce while helping it stick to the noodles.
Fettuccine is ideal, but linguine or tagliatelle also work. You’ll want to choose a shape that is flat and wide enough to hold onto the sauce and crab.
More Impressive Pasta Dishes
If you’re looking for a bowl of comfort that’s also sure to wow guests, check out these stand-out recipes!
Creamy Chili Crab Pasta
Ingredients
Crab Pasta:
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot , minced
- 3 cloves fresh garlic , minced
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes*
- 1 green squash , chopped
- 2-4 fresh red chile peppers , seeded and chopped
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese , freshly grated
- 1 pound fresh blue crab meat
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Crunchy Topping:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives , snipped
Instructions
For the Bread Crumbs:
- In a small skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, then add the 3 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper .
- Stir and cook the bread crumbs until they resemble wet sand and are golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
For the Crab Pasta:
- Cook the 1 pound fettuccine pasta according to package directions for al dente in heavily salted water. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining and lightly tossing with olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Add the 1 shallot, sauteing for 2 minutes, or until it starts to soften. Add the minced 3 cloves fresh garlic, 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes*, chopped 1 green squash and minced and seeded 2-4 fresh red chile peppers . Continue to saute until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and pour in the 1 cup reserved pasta water and 1/2 cup heavy cream, stirring until small bubbles form. Stir in the 1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese.
- Add the 1 pound fresh blue crab meat , 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and cooked pasta to the hot sauce, tossing until fully coated.
- Divide the pasta on serving plates and evenly divide the seasoned bread crumbs and chopped 2 tablespoons fresh chives.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
