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kt elizabeth's crabnificent pasta bake

(1 rating)
Mertzie avatar
Recipe by
Michelle Koletar/Mertz
@Mertzie
Harrisburg, PA

Kati Elizabeth is my daughter, and I made this recipe up with her in mind. Wine, cheese, crab meat, pasta, fresh basil...what's not to love? This is one of those recipes I have been trying to perfect for years, and by golly, I think I got it! :) This is one you could make on a weeknight easily when you want something special. Enjoy!

(1 rating)
prep time 20 Min
cook time 30 Min

Ingredients For kt elizabeth's crabnificent pasta bake

  • FOR CRAB:
  • 2
    tb butter
  • 1
    lb. crabmeat (use lump or claw--whatever is reasonably priced, but a good quality)
  • FOR PASTA AND COOKING WATER:
  • 9 oz
    fettuccine pasta (if you have access to fresh, great, i use good quality refrigerated for this dish)
  • half of a fresh lemon
  • 1
    cup, chicken broth
  • FOR VEGETABLES:
  • 8 oz
    or more of fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 2
    green onions (use white & green parts)
  • large handful of fresh basil
  • small handful of fresh italian parsley
  • 1
    roasted red pepper, diced (jarred kind is fine to equal about 1/2 cup or so)
  • 2 Tbsp
    butter (see my note below for substituting olive oil)
  • FOR SAUCE:
  • 4 Tbsp
    butter
  • 2 Tbsp
    flour
  • 1
    1 & 2/3 cup of chicken broth
  • 2/3 c
    white wine (i used pinot grigio)
  • 1 c
    shredded swiss and grueyere mix or parmesan or combo
  • sprinkling of white pepper and fennel seed
  • 1 tsp
    garlic salt

How To Make kt elizabeth's crabnificent pasta bake

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For the pasta water: add enough water to the chicken broth to cover the pasta. Add half of a lemon. I also added a fresh thyme sprig I had on hand. Bring to boil and add pasta. Just barely cook your pasta if it's refrigerated, and if it is dry fettucine, make sure you cook it a little less than al dente. I used refrigerated pasta and only had it in the water for about a minute and it was ready.
  • 2
    Drain pasta and spread out in buttered baking dish. Reserve the lemon half. Meanwhile as pasta water boils...
  • 3
    In skillet, sautee mushrooms in 2 TB butter (use oil if you are concerned w/ so much butter). Add green onions, red peppers, garlic salt, fennel, white pepper and stir. Turn off heat, but leave on stove and add chopped basil and parsley. Pour this over top of the fettuccine.
  • 4
    In same skillet, sautee crabmeat in butter (or again OO, if you prefer) for a few minutes. Sprinkle the lemon juice from the lemon you boiled w/ the pasta over top and lightly salt (I used smoked sea salt). You can use a little old bay, if you like in place of the smoked sea salt. Spread the crab over the veggie pasta.
  • 5
    Now, make your sauce in the same skillet. Melt the butter (don't replace with oil), over med heat. Add flour and whisk for a few minutes. Add the chicken broth slowly and keep stirring. Let this thicken up a bit. Add the wine and stir through. Then, add your grated/shredded cheeses and heat through. Pour this over the top of the pasta bake,
  • 6
    Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 mins, uncovered. I put the baking dish on a flat pan in case there is any drips from the sauce. Remove and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes before you serve.
  • 7
    Sprinkle w/ fresh parm on top, and enjoy! I love this with roasted asparagus.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!

Categories & Tags for KT Elizabeth's Crabnificent Pasta Bake:

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