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Cajun Crab Pasta

Cajun crab pasta combines linguine with lump crab in a creamy Cajun-seasoned sauce. The sauce thickens until it coats a spoon, with Parmesan, lemon juice, onion, and red bell pepper for extra flavor.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 750
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the pasta
  • 4 qt water
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 12 oz linguine
For the sauce
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 0.5 cup yellow onion finely chopped
  • 0.5 cup red bell pepper finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 12 oz lump crab meat picked over for shell fragments
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Equipment

  • 1 12-inch skillet

Method
 

Cook the pasta
  1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.
  2. Add the salt and linguine, and cook according to the package directions until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes; drain.
Make the sauce
  1. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.
  3. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  4. Stir in the flour, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Gradually whisk in the broth and heavy cream, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.
  6. Stir in the Parmesan until melted.
  7. Gently fold in the crab and lemon juice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the crab is heated through.
Combine and serve
  1. Add the drained linguine to the skillet and toss gently until coated with sauce.

Notes

For tender crab, fold it in gently and cook just until heated through. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce may separate. For a gluten-free variation, use gluten-free linguine and a gluten-free flour blend.