Here’s a nice easy dinner, that also has that fancy restaurant quality: my Creamy Cajun Crab Pasta. It’s got big, bold New Orleans inspired flavors, and the crab meat makes it feel classy. The best part? It all comes together in about 30 minutes, so it’s just as doable on a busy weeknight as it is for something a little more special.
Ever since Noah found a second crab trap washed up on shore, I’ve been steaming and picking more blue crabs than I know what to do with. Of course, there’s Crab Cakes, Crab Imperial, and a big ol’ Crab Boil, but this time I wanted something that was more of a weeknight dinner type recipe.
Crab Pasta with Creamy Cajun Sauce
I’ve cooked a few varieties of crab pasta over the years, but this one really stands out thanks to those bold Cajun flavors. A good dose of Creole seasoning gives it that signature kick, while the creamy sauce keeps everything rich and balanced. I’m also adding in some vegetables that play really well with the crab, bringing a little sweetness, texture, and color to the dish.
It’s the kind of pasta that feels indulgent without being over the top, and one you’ll want to keep in your regular rotation.
Ingredient Notes
For exact ingredient amounts, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Here are the things you will need:
- Pasta – Short shapes like penne, rigatoni, or rotini work best because they hold onto that creamy sauce beautifully. This time around I used radiatori. You can use long pasta like fettuccine if you prefer.
- Butter – This is where the sauce starts. You can swap it with olive oil if needed, but butter really complements the seafood flavor here.
- Bell peppers – I like using a mix of bell peppers for color and sweetness. Any color works, or you can stick with just one if that’s what you have on hand.
- Mushrooms – Mushrooms go so well with crab. I used white today, but baby bella works great too.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is key here. I always recommend freshly minced for the best flavor.
- Creole seasoning – This is where the personality of the dish comes in. If your blend is salty, keep that in mind start with a lower amount. I always keep a batch of our homemade Creole Seasoning for recipes like this.
- Tomato paste – Just a little goes a long way. It adds depth and a slight tang.
- Chicken broth – This loosens the sauce. Seafood stock works nice here too if you want to lean even more into that coastal flavor.
- Heavy cream – This is what makes the sauce rich and creamy. If you want a lighter version, you can use half-and-half..
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated is the way to go. It melts smoothly into the sauce. Pre-grated can work in a pinch, but it won’t give you the same texture.
- Crab meat – The star of the dish. Don’t even think of using imitation crab. Just be gentle when mixing so you keep those nice chunks intact.
- Fresh parsley – For garnish at the end.
How To Make Creamy Crab Pasta
Boil pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to your preferred tenderness, then drain.
Sauté vegetables: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and bell peppers. Sauté for a few minutes until they soften up.
Build the flavor: Add in garlic and Creole seasoning. Mix it well, and cook, while stirring, for 2-3 minutes to bloom the spices.
Create the creamy sauce: Stir in the tomato paste, chicken broth and heavy cream. Make sure to deglaze well, and scrape up and bits from the bottom of the pan, as they hold a lot of flavor. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Add parm and pasta: Gradually stir in the parmesan cheese until it melts nicely into the sauce. Then add pasta and toss everything well.
Finish the dish: Now for the crab! Add all of your crab meat, then gently fold it into the pasta, avoiding breaking up the lumps as much as possible. When it’s well mixed, give everything a final garnish of parsley.
And that’s it, you’re done!
Recipe Tips
- Use good quality crab. If you’re not catching your own crabs, it’s worth splurging for the fresh refrigerated crab meat at the supermarket. Even if it’s just the claw meat, which is then lump and a lot cheaper than jumbo lump. Please don’t use imitation crab meat, or even canned.
- Bring your cream to room temperature. This helps prevent curdling.
- Use freshly grated cheese. It melts into the sauce much better than pre-shredded.
- Reduce the sauce. I let my cream sauces simmer for a few minutes to reduce. This helps them thicken up and stick to the pasta better.
Leftovers and Storage
You can refrigerate leftovers for up to 2-3 days. Personally, I prefer to eat seafood fairly quickly for best quality, so I recommend eating it pretty quickly.
This pasta will not freeze well due to the cream.
Variations
- Add other veggies: Spinach goes well here, and to keep with the New Orleans theme you could add celery, or even onion I suppose. Cherry tomatoes are another good choice.
- Add a wine component: Replace the chicken broth with white wine, and let it reduce for a few minutes before adding the cream. Or try cooking sherry, it works great too.
- Make it spicy: Add some cayenne, diced up chili peppers or hot sauce.
More seafood pasta recipes:
Creamy Langostino Pasta
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Creamy Salmon Pasta
Shrimp Primavera
Clam Linguine
Rasta Pasta
Frutti di Mare
Recipe Video
Creamy Cajun Crab Pasta
Creamy Cajun Crab Pasta is a quick 30-minute dinner packed with bold New Orleans flavors, tender crab, and a rich, garlicky cream sauce.
Ingredients
- 8oz dried pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 8oz mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons Creole seasoning
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 pound crab meat
- fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Boil pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to your preferred tenderness, then drain.
- Sauté vegetables: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and bell peppers. Sauté for a few minutes until they soften up.
- Build the flavor: Add in garlic and Creole seasoning. Mix it well, and cook, while stirring, for 2-3 minutes to bloom the spices.
- Create the creamy sauce: Stir in the tomato paste, chicken broth and heavy cream. Make sure to deglaze well, and scrape up and bits from the bottom of the pan, as they hold a lot of flavor. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Add parm and pasta: Gradually stir in the parmesan cheese until it melts nicely into the sauce. Then add pasta and toss everything well.
- Finish the dish: Now for the crab! Add all of your crab meat, then gently fold it into the pasta, avoiding breaking up the lumps as much as possible. When it's well mixed, give everything a final garnish of parsley.
Notes
- Use good quality crab. If you’re not catching your own crabs, it’s worth splurging for the fresh refrigerated crab meat at the supermarket. Even if it’s just the claw meat, which is then lump and a lot cheaper than jumbo lump. Please don’t use imitation crab meat, or even canned.
- Bring your cream to room temperature. This helps prevent curdling.
- Use freshly grated cheese. It melts into the sauce much better than pre-shredded.
- Reduce the sauce. I let my cream sauces simmer for a few minutes to reduce. This helps them thicken up and stick to the pasta better.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 876Total Fat 59gSaturated Fat 35gUnsaturated Fat 24gCholesterol 287mgSodium 4681mgCarbohydrates 41gFiber 4gSugar 8gProtein 47g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former worldwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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