There is nothing better than summertime in Connecticut, especially out on the waters of Long Island Sound. We have a seventeen foot motor boat that’s perfect for cruising around the Sound’s islands and inlets. All summer long we fish, swim and hang out on the boat. In August, when the water heats up, we like to head into the salt marshes to hunt out the ultimate summertime treat, blue crabs. We had a successful outing the other day and after a few hours had a bucketful of beautiful blue crabs – plenty to make a classic Italian – American dish we both grew up eating and one of our absolute favorites – spaghetti with crab sauce.
Recipe: Spaghetti with Blue Crab Sauce
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 4-6 blue crabs, cleaned
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 3 28-oz cans of whole plum tomatoes, crushed
- Fresh basil leaves
- Salt and crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 lb. spaghetti
Instructions
- In a large pot heat a Tbs. of olive oil over medium heat. Add the crabs and cook meat side down until the crabs start to turn red. Turn over and add the garlic and cook a few minutes more, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, bring up to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook the sauce until thick and flavorful, 2 to 3 hours. Add a handful of basil leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper flakes. Remove the crabs from the sauce and set aside on a platter.
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well.
- In a large bowl toss the spaghetti with the sauce and serve with the crabs on the side.
- Buon Appetito!
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September 7th, 2010 - 2:50 pm
That sounds so delicious!