Crab Linguine – Ready in 15 Minutes!
, Updated Jun 26, 2025
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Delicious Crab Linguine – this super-tasty crab pasta recipe uses just a handful of ingredients and cooks in just 15 minutes! Great for a speedy weeknight dinner served with my Dough Balls With Garlic Butter
I originally published this crab linguine recipe in 2015 (where does the time fly?) and it’s high time I gave it an update. It is one of my top five speedy weeknight meals – so quick, simple and absolutely delicious! If you like crab recipes, make sure to bookmark this one.
When I first posted this recipe I used frozen whole crab claws. These days I use fresh or canned crab meat – much less messy to eat! The only downside is that crab is quite expensive these days so this dish has become a bit of a treat.
Crab Linguine Ingredients
You will need a large pan that can contain the sauce and pasta for this recipe. A chef’s pan or wok would work.
- Dried linguine or other pasta of your choice
- Butter and olive oil
- Shallots and garlic
- Salt and pinch of sugar
- Fresh tomatoes, seeds removed
- Crab meat – I used both brown and white crab meat in this recipe. The brown crab meat was fresh and the white lump crab was canned. Use whatever you can find, avoiding crab sticks (imitation crab)
- Wine or vermouth
- Lemon Juice
- Grated parmesan
- Parsley and chilli flakes to serve
HOW TO MAKE CRAB LINGUINE
- Heat the butter and olive oil to a large chef’s pan.Add the shallots, garlic, salt and sugar. Cook, stirring, over low heat for five minutes or until the shallots have softened.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for about a minute. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Increase the heat and cook for about five minutes or until the wine aroma disappears.
- Add the brown crab meat and stir into the sauce. Meanwhile cook the linguine while you prepare the sauce. Prepare according to packet instructions – cooked in salted water till al dente. Reserve about 120ml (1/2 cup) of the pasta water before draining.
- Stir the pasta into the sauce and add the white crab meat and parmesan. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Don’t add it all at once, just stir enough in so that the pasta is coated in the sauce.
- Toss with the parsley to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve with the parsley and red pepper flakes.
Serving suggestions
Serve this easy crab pasta with crusty bread or my garlic dough balls. Pair with a crisp dry white wine or a glass of chilled rosé.
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Did you make my crab linguine recipe? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebookpage, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Quick and Delicious Crab Linguine
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 3 banana shallots very finely diced
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tbsp sugar
- 3 garlic cloves minced (I used a garlic press)
- 4 fresh tomatoes seeds removed, diced
- 120 (½ cup) dry white wine or vermouth
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 200 g (1 ½ cups) brown crab meat fresh or canned
- 200 g (1 ½ cups) white crab meat fresh or canned
- 4 tbsp grated parmesan
- 400 g (14oz) linguine cooked till al dente
- reserved pasta water as needed
- 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley very finely chopped
- pinch red pepper flakes to serve
Instructions
- Add the butter and olive oil to a large chef's pan and heat until the butter melts and starts to foam.½ tbsp unsalted butter, ½ tbsp olive oil
- Add the shallots, garlic, salt and sugar. Cook, stirring, over low heat for five minutes or until the shallots have softened.3 banana shallots, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tbsp sugar, 3 garlic cloves
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for about a minute.4 fresh tomatoes
- Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Increase the heat and cook for about five minutes or until the wine aroma disappears.120 (½ cup) dry white wine, 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Add the brown crab meat and stir into the sauce.200 g (1 ½ cups) brown crab meat
- Meanwhile cook the linguine while you prepare the sauce. Prepare according to packet instructions – cooked in salted water till al dente. Reserve about 120ml (1/2 cup) of the pasta water before draining.200 g (1 ½ cups) white crab meat
- Stir the pasta into the sauce and add the white crab meat and parmesan. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.4 tbsp grated parmesan, 400 g (14oz) linguine, reserved pasta water
- Toss with the parsley to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve with the parsley and chilli flakes.2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, pinch red pepper flakes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Made this with clams in place of crab. We loved the flavour. Will definitely make again.
What a fab idea!!
This was an alright dish. not much flavor punch. looks lovely with the herbs colors and pasta.
Hi Nina – the crab has a very delicate flavor which I didn’t want to overwhelm
I made this with fresh crab. I didn’t use the dark meat.(too scary!) But I will try next time we go crabbing. It was very good. Easy to make.
Would shrimp work as well?
Hi Joanne – yes it would be delicious with shrimp!
Can you omit the wine?
absolutely!
Made the with fresh crab and used a red chilli finely chopped and it was delicous!
I’m having a family get together with 10 people. This recipe looks & sounds amazing! Any suggestions for a group this large??
Oh goodness. I would make the sauce in advance (probably need to triple it) and only add the crab just before serving. You may need to make the pasta in two large pots (I don’t have a pot big enough to make pasta for 10)
So each serving is over 4000 calories???
Oops! No it’s definitely not 😯 I have updated the info x
is it 549 calories per person???
Yes
My husband bought some crab in a can on a whim so I halved this recipe, used spaghetti and it was brilliant! I didn’t have shallots so used half an onion. Absolutely delicious.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Well it looks delicious. I adore crab. Interesting to know that the frozen claw holds up to the taste test. I'm intrigued! Beautiful dish.
I think if you served the claws without the sauce they might be a bit dry. But with the sauce they were really delicious. I think I will try a Thai recipe next!
Looks delicious, Lucy! I have such a weakness for anything seafood related. In fact, I had fresh crab spaghettini at Jamie's Italian last night for Vika's birthday. Your creation really reminds me of that dish. Yum!
I loved how easy it was! Then I remembered why I rarely eat pasta – one bite and you are in carb heaven…