Description
This Seafood Pasta with Shrimp & Crab is a creamy, flavorful dish that combines tender shrimp and lump crab meat with a rich Parmesan and white wine cream sauce, tossed with perfectly cooked fettuccine or linguine. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s an elegant and satisfying meal ideal for seafood lovers seeking a quick yet impressive dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 oz fettuccine or linguine pasta
Seafood
- 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 lb lump crab meat (fresh or canned)
Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Garnish
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water to adjust the sauce later if needed.
- Sauté Garlic: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Cook Shrimp: Add the peeled and deveined shrimp to the skillet and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side until they turn pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
- Deglaze Pan: Lower the heat and pour in the white wine (if using) to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it simmer for 1–2 minutes until the wine reduces slightly.
- Make Sauce: Add the heavy cream, lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and black pepper to the pan. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and allow the sauce to simmer for 2–3 minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Add Seafood: Gently fold the lump crab meat and cooked shrimp back into the sauce. Simmer for another 1–2 minutes until the seafood is heated through and well combined.
- Toss Pasta: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss everything together to coat the pasta evenly with the sauce. Use reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce to your preferred consistency.
- Serve: Serve the seafood pasta immediately, garnished with chopped parsley and additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute shrimp and crab with other seafood like scallops or lobster for variation.
- If avoiding alcohol, simply omit the white wine and use a splash of seafood or chicken broth instead.
- Use gluten-free pasta if you want to make this dish gluten free.
- To reduce fat, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or a lighter cream alternative, but the sauce will be less rich.
- Fresh parsley as garnish adds brightness but can be omitted or substituted with basil or chives.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
