Pasta #2 black spaghetti and crab.

Spaghetti is a pretty classic pasta shape, pretty much a regularly member of the household, the one we all know by name.  Spaghetti comes from 'spago'; the diminutive form meaning string or twine (a name that really requires no explanation).  Commonplace or not, Spaghetti should not be taken for granted, it is simple, delicious and perfect looking.  (In fact Spaghetti is so loved in this house that the guinea-pig was named in honour of it)!

This recipe uses black pasta; pasta dyed with squid ink which gives the pasta a delicate fishy flavour but a plain pasta would be just as tasty.

Again this is another pasta recipe where the sauce takes pretty much as long as the pasta takes to cook!

Ingredients (serves 2 generously)

200g of Spaghetti (or 2-3 nests if using fresh pasta)
The contents of one picked crab (or you can pick it yourself if you're feeling brave)
2 garlic cloves
1 chili
a good bunch of parsley
100 ml of white wine
2 tbsp of creme fraiche (or cream for the decadent)
pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper
1/2 a lemon

Put water on to boil for the pasta.  When the water is boiling add the pasta and cook for a minute less than the packet instructions suggest, so the pasta is left slightly al dente.

Finely chop the garlic and the chili and fry till the garlic nearly burns in a good glug of olive oil.  Add the crab meat and mash to make a paste.  Allow to fry together for a minute before adding the white wine.  Whilst this is simmering, chop up the parsley and stir into the crab meat mixture (leaving a little aside to scatter on the pasta at the end).  Take the pan off the heat and stir in the creme fraiche.

Once the pasta is drained, tip it into the frying pan with crab sauce and mix it all up together.  Add salt and black pepper to taste and dish up.  Scatter over the rest of the parsley and serve with slices of lemon (I like mine a lot more lemony than others - personal lemon discretion is the key for this dish)!



Enjoy with a glass of white wine (unless you're pregnant, in which case stare enviously at the white wine your partner drinks whilst you begrudgingly drink water).