Crab Linguine With Herbed Breadcrumbs
Serves 2 to 4.
This recipe is from "Food Between Friends" (Clarkson Potter) by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Julie Tanous. Ferguson, best known for his role on television's "Modern Family," met Tanous, a recipe developer, at a Los Angeles dinner. The pair have been cooking together since. Follow their culinary adventures at julieandjessecook.com.
Breadcrumbs:
• 1 c. torn day-old baguette pieces
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh tarragon or parsley
• 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crab linguine:
• Kosher salt
• 8 oz. linguine
• 1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for pasta
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, plus more as needed
• 1/2 c. cream cheese, room temperature
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 8 oz. jumbo lump crab meat (we love Dungeness), picked over for shell bits
Directions
To prepare the breadcrumbs: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Add the baguette pieces to a food processor and pulse until broken down into coarse crumbs, 5 to 10 seconds. Toss the breadcrumbs with the olive oil and spread on the baking sheet in an even layer. Bake until golden brown and very crispy, about 20 minutes. Stir in the tarragon and lemon zest and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To prepare the crab linguine: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes (or according to package directions). Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water, then drain the pasta. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking together.
In a large skillet, melt the butter and the 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. When it is hot and bubbly, add the shallot, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until soft and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and cook until melty and the mixture is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, crab meat, and about 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Cook until the sauce is thick and glossy and the crab is warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes, adding more pasta water as needed if the sauce is getting too thick. Stir in the linguine and half the breadcrumbs and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish (or leave in the pan) and sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs on top.
