Description
A rich and creamy Italian-American seafood pasta featuring succulent shrimp and tender lump crab meat tossed in a zesty lemon garlic cream sauce with Parmesan cheese, perfectly seasoned and served over linguine or fettuccine.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 oz linguine or fettuccine pasta
Sauce and Seafood
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 8 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 6 oz lump crab meat
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of pasta water, then set the pasta aside.
- Sauté Garlic and Shrimp: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes, sautéing for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until they turn pink and opaque.
- Add Crab Meat: Stir in the lump crab meat and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until heated through.
- Prepare Cream Sauce: Reduce the heat to low and pour in the heavy cream. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper. Let the sauce simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, tossing well to coat it fully with the creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water gradually if needed to loosen the sauce to desired consistency.
- Serve: Sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley over the pasta and serve immediately while hot and flavorful.
Notes
- Use fresh or well-drained canned lump crab meat.
- For extra depth of flavor, add a splash of white wine before adding the cream.
- This dish pairs beautifully with garlic bread and a fresh green salad.
