Crab and mint linguine recipe

This crab and mint linguine has light and fresh pasta sauce with so much summery zing to it.

We just love a pasta dish that is ready in the time it takes to boil the pasta is this simple recipe is an outstanding example. In three easy steps you get pasta in a crabmeat sauce, topped with a crisp, spicy crumb. It's a perfect dish to serve up on summer evenings when you don't want to be spending too long in the kitchen. The mint and lemon zest give the dish a lovely sunny feeling. Plus it's one of our great healthy pasta recipes (opens in new tab), with under 400 calories per portion.

Ingredients

• 150g dried linguine or spaghetti
• 2 tbsp good olive oil
• 2 tbsp white breadcrumbs
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• Pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 100g pot ready-prepared white crabmeat
• Zest and juice of ½ lemon
• About 12 mint leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 handfuls pea shoots

Method

1. Cook the pasta, according to pack instructions, for 6-7 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp of the oil in a small frying pan, stir in the breadcrumbs, garlic and chilli flakes and cook briefly until golden. Set aside.
2. Drain the pasta, but keeping a little water in it, stir in the rest of the oil, then the crab, lemon zest and juice, snipped mint leaves and seasoning.
3. Pile into bowls and then sprinkle with the garlic breadcrumbs and more mint leaves and a drizzle of olive oil, if you like. Garnish with pea shoots.

Top tips for making crab and mint linguine

Before you drain the water from the pasta, remove a large mugful of it and set it aside. If the pasta is too dry or stuck together, add a little of this starchy water to loosen it and make the it feel more saucy. This is a good trick that works with almost every pasta sauce.

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