Creamy Crab Pasta

5 from 9 votes

This Creamy Crab Pasta is a quick dinner that will have you feeling like you are at a high-end restaurant. The flavors of tarragon and lemon pair perfectly in the creamy crab sauce.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Servings: servings

Calories: 478kcal

Author: Lisa Longley

Ingredients

8 ounces fettuccine (100 grams) cooked according to to package instructions, see note 1
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups half and half (354.882 ml), see note 3
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (33 grams) shredded, see note 2
1 teaspoon dried tarragon see note 4
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
dash freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces lump crab meat drained and picked through
fresh parsley for topping

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. When finished, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
8 ounces fettuccine
In a clean skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn it.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 cloves garlic
Whisk in the flour. Very slowly, whisk in the half and half. You want to just whisk in a small bit at a time, so that you can create a roux. I like to eyeball about 2 tablespoons at a time, only adding more half and half after what you just added is absorbed, going quicker the more you add. Even though we start adding slowly, it should take you less than a minute to add all the liquid.
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups half and half
Once you have whisked in all of the half and half, bring the dish to a low simmer. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, melting it to combine. Then stir in the tarragon, lemon zest, kosher salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon dried tarragon, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, dash freshly ground black pepper
Stir in the pasta and lump crab meat. Add a splash more half and half if it is too thick. Top with fresh parsley and enjoy.
8 ounces lump crab meat, fresh parsley for topping

Video

Notes

For all my tips and tricks on cooking pasta see my post: How to Cook Pasta.
For best results, buy a block of Parmesan cheese and shred from that as it will melt much better into the sauce.
If you live in the UK you will be looking for half cream. Half and half is just half whole milk and half heavy cream, so it is easy to replace if you can't find it.
I've had a few readers tell me that they don't love tarragon and have replaced it with a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes with great results.

Nutrition