This Garlic Butter Crab Pasta made quick and easy with sauteed garlic in butter tossed with flaked canned crab and mixed with angel hair pasta is perfect for dinner.
I have a bad habit of going to the grocery store and picking up random cans of things that I think I might want to use someday. Some of them I have used over and over again and know what to do with them, but I had no idea what to make with canned crab. I usually use fresh crab meat in recipes, and I wasn't sure it would be the same.
A few weeks ago I saw a crab and angel hair pasta recipe on Pinterest and was reminded of it the next time my daughter asked for pasta for dinner, so I decided to try a canned crab pasta recipe.
Use canned crab labeled "white crab meat" in this Garlic Butter Crab Pasta. The ones labeled "pink crab meat" are crab claw meat, and have a lot of tiny shell pieces that are impossible to pick out. The butter absorbs into the pasta pretty quickly, if you want more of a buttery crab pasta melt additional butter to mix into the pasta when serving.
You can follow the crab meat pasta sauce recipe and use whatever kind of pasta you like.
Garlic Butter Crab Pasta
Looking for more recipes with different kinds of pasta for dinner? Try these:
Skillet Meaty Shells and Cheese
Pumpkin Ravioli with Parmesan Sage Cream Sauce
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Garlic Butter Crab Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 18 ounces canned white crab meat (reserve liquid from the cans to add to the pasta)
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 pound angel hair pasta, cooked in salted boiling water for the time indicated on the box
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, add salt to keep the pasta from sticking. Cook the pasta for the time indicated on the package, then drain and return to the pot.
- As soon as the pasta goes into the pot, melt the butter in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, for two minutes or until the garlic is soften, being careful not to let it burn. Add the reserved juices from the cans and turn off the heat. Stir in the crab meat, parsley,,salt, and red pepper flakes.
- Stir the garlic butter crab mixture into the pasta and serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Jennine says
Yum! I used kerrygold butter (a little less than the recipe called for), skipped the red pepper, and topped with grated Parmesan… yummy! Thanks ?
Cheryl says
I made this recipe and it was absolutely delicious. Next time I will use crab legs instead of canned. Only thing I would change. I will make this again.
Gretchen says
This was the best quick and simple weeknight recipe I've tried in a while. I ended up using frozen crab meat instead of canned (had just ordered way too much from this place: https://qualityseafooddelivery.com/crab/) and it was truly an amazing meal. Can't wait to make it again.
mferoli says
Quick, easy and delish! Jumbo lump crab and since I’m from Maryland, I had to toss in a couple tsps of Old Bay!
Michael Desmond says
Thanks I have real crab legs, and spaghetti and was looking for a good recipe and found it here. Simple fast and delicious/ HMMM HMM.... going be good, thanks again
Heinz Schirmaier says
I'm a single guy so I downsized. Also did not have crab meat, but a can of albacore tuna and subbed that! Turned out delish. I'll try crab next time. I'm sure it will be even better!
Thanks!
Bernadette says
Glad you liked it!