Ricette di Sicilia
Cibo, cultura e tradizioni siciliane
Sicilian Crab Pasta — A Taste of the Mediterranean Coast
A beautifully simple seafood pasta that captures the gentle, sun-kissed flavours of Sicily’s shoreline.
🛒 Ingredients
- ✓ 320 g spaghetti
- ✓ 8 fresh crabs
- ✓ 500 g cherry tomatoes
- ✓ Extra-virgin olive oil
- ✓ 2 garlic cloves
- ✓ A handful of chopped parsley
- ✓ 100 ml dry white wine
- ✓ Sea salt
- ✓ Freshly ground black pepper
📊 Nutritional Information
Some dishes seem to carry the sea with them, even before they reach the table — and this Sicilian crab pasta is one of those rare, irresistible creations. Its aroma is delicate and saline, the sort of scent you’d expect to find drifting across a quiet harbour at dawn, where fishing boats unload their glittering treasures of the Mediterranean.
Here, the natural sweetness of fresh crab melts beautifully into the softness of ripe tomatoes and the fragrance of Sicilian extra-virgin olive oil. The result is a pasta that tastes like sunshine, simplicity, and open water — a celebration of island cooking at its most elegant.
Close your eyes as you twirl your fork and let the warmth of Sicily carry you away, if only for a moment.
👨🍳 Preparation
- 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and lower in the well-rinsed crabs.
- 2
Cook for 6–7 minutes, then lift the crabs out, keeping the cooking water aside.
- 3
Remove the claws, open the shells, and extract the meat, discarding gills and innards.
- 4
Bring the crab water back to the boil and cook the spaghetti until very al dente.
- 5
Warm a little olive oil in a wide frying pan and gently sauté the chopped garlic.
- 6
Add the crab meat and claws, pour in the wine, and let it evaporate.
- 7
Stir in pepper or chilli and the chopped cherry tomatoes; cook for a few minutes.
- 8
Transfer the al dente spaghetti to the pan and toss with a splash of cooking water.
- 9
Finish with chopped parsley and a drizzle of raw olive oil before serving.
💡 Tips and Variations
For extra depth, stir in a teaspoon of Sicilian anchovy essence — it brings a subtle savouriness that complements the crab beautifully. If you prefer a different pasta shape, linguine or traditional busiate from Trapani work wonderfully.
📦 Storage
- • Store in the fridge for up to 1 day.
- • Reheat gently in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil to keep it moist.
- • Do not freeze, as crab loses flavour and texture once thawed.
🍷 Pairing
A chilled Sicilian Grillo is perfect here — fresh, mineral, and beautifully suited to lifting the sweet, delicate flavour of the crab.
With your Sicilian crab pasta ready, all that’s left is to enjoy each forkful and let the scent of the Mediterranean accompany you to the very last bite.
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