Indulge in the luxurious flavors of our Creamy Crab Cake Pasta, where tender pasta meets a velvety cream sauce, infused with aromatic garlic, white wine, and a hint of tarragon. Topped with a golden, succulent crab cake, this dish marries comfort with sophistication, making it perfect for a special dinner or a delightful treat any night of the week. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or impressing guests, this recipe promises a restaurant-quality experience at home.
Why You’re Going to Love This Recipe
- Restaurant-Quality Dish at Home: A perfect blend of seafood elegance and creamy pasta comfort, offering you a luxurious meal without leaving your kitchen.
- Perfectly Balanced Flavors: The creamy sauce, infused with garlic, tarragon, and a subtle heat from red pepper flakes, perfectly complements the delicate sweetness of the crab cakes.
- Customizable Pasta: Choose your favorite pasta to pair with this dish, from shellbows to fettuccine, ensuring the sauce clings to every bite for a memorable experience.
- Great for Impressing: Ideal for dinner parties, this dish will wow your guests with its stunning presentation and sophisticated flavors.
- Easy and Straightforward: Despite its gourmet appearance, this recipe is simple to follow and doesn’t require advanced cooking skills.
Ingredients
For the Crab Cake
- Claw crab meat
- Mayo
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Fresh chives, chopped
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Black pepper
- Old Bay seasoning
- Garlic, grated
- Lemon juice
- Large egg
For the Cream Sauce
- Heavy whipping cream
- White wine
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- Unsalted butter
- Garlic, grated
- Tarragon, dried or fresh chopped
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt to taste
For the Garnish
- Dried parsley
- Olive oil
Instructions
Crab Cake
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients listed under “Crab Cake” except for the crab meat. Mix until well combined.
- Gently fold in the crab meat, being careful not to overmix, to keep the crab cakes moist and light.
- Form the mixture into mounds with your hands, handling them gently.
- Place the crab cakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown on top.
Cream Sauce
- In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the garlic until fragrant.
- Add the white wine to the pan and let it simmer, allowing the alcohol to cook off.
- Pour in the heavy whipping cream and season with red pepper flakes, tarragon, and salt. Stir well to combine.
- Let the sauce simmer until it thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.
Assemble
- Add your cooked pasta of choice to the cream sauce. Toss to coat the pasta evenly.
- Sprinkle in the grated Parmesan cheese and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Once the crab cakes are done, plate your pasta and top each serving with a crab cake.
- Drizzle with any remaining sauce and garnish with dried parsley and a touch of olive oil. Serve immediately and savor the richness of this indulgent dish.
Storage Suggestions
This dish is best enjoyed fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. To reheat, gently warm the pasta and crab cakes in a pan over low heat, adding a splash of cream or milk to refresh the sauce if necessary. The crab cakes can also be reheated in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) to retain their crispiness.
Final Thoughts
Creamy Crab Cake Pasta is the epitome of indulgence. Each bite offers a delightful contrast between the creamy pasta and the tender, flavorful crab cakes. Whether you’re looking to impress someone special or treat yourself, this recipe is sure to become a staple in your kitchen. Don’t forget to experiment with different pasta shapes to find the perfect match for this luxurious sauce!
Creamy Crab Cake Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked pasta your choice
Crab Cake
- 8 oz claw crab meat
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp parsley fresh chopped
- 1 tbsp chives fresh chopped
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp old bay
- 1 tsp garlic grated
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 large egg
Cream Sauce
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1 tsp garlic grated
- 1 tsp tarragon dried or fresh chopped
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt to taste
Garnish
- Parsley dried
- Olive oil
Instructions
Crab Cake
- In a bowl, add all ingredients listed under “Crab Cake” except for the crab meat. Mix thoroughly, then gently fold in the crab meat.
- Using your hands, gently form into mounds being careful not to over mix or pack into too tight. This will insure the crab cakes are moist and light.
- Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and place in a preheated oven at 400F for 15-18 minutes. Cook until they are golden brown on top.
Cream Sauce
- To a pan over medium heat, add butter and garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the white wine and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to allow the alcohol to dissipate.
- Then, add the heavy whipping cream and season with red pepper flakes, tarragon and salt, to taste.
Assemble
- Add in the cooked pasta of your choice to the cream sauce. I used shellbows with looks like a mix between elbow and shell pasta’s. Perfect to hold that delicious sauce.
- Follow that with some parmesan cheese and allow the sauce to thicken and cook for 4-5 minutes. Mixing occasionally.
- At this point the crab cakes should be cooked and ready to go as well.
- Plate the pasta and top with one of the golden crab cakes. Top with additional sauce and garnish with dried parsley and a little olive oil. Enjoy!
