Sicilian Crab & Zucchini Bucatini

Sweet Dungeness crab, peak-season zucchini and tomatoes turn silky lemon bucatini into an elegant Sicilian-inspired dinner in under an hour.

  • Total time: 45 min
  • Servings: 2 servings
  • Estimated total cost: $25
  • Calories per serving: 810 cal
  • Stovetop

Ingredients

  • Whole Cooked Dungeness Crab
    2 lb $9.99
  • Private Selection® Italian Bucatini
    6 oz $2.59
  • Zucchini
    12 oz $1.79
  • Private Selection® Campari Tomatoes
    8 oz $3.33
  • Kroger® Fresh Lemons
    1 lemon $4.99
  • Kroger® Whole Garlic Bulbs
    2 cloves $2.99
  • Organic Italian Parsley
    1/4 cup $1.99
  • Panko breadcrumbs
    1/4 cup
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
    2 tbsp
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
    1/4 tsp
  • Dry white wine
    1/2 cup
  • Unsalted butter
    2 tbsp
  • Kosher salt
    1 tbsp plus 1/4 tsp
  • Black pepper
    1/4 tsp
  • Water
    3 qt

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Pick the meat from 2 lb Whole Cooked Dungeness Crab, keeping the pieces as large as possible and checking carefully for shell. Thinly slice 12 oz zucchini into half-moons and halve 8 oz Campari tomatoes. Zest and juice 1 lemon, mince 2 garlic cloves, and chop 1/4 cup Italian parsley.

  2. 2.

    Make the lemon pangrattato: heat 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs and 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes; sauté for 3–4 minutes until crisp and golden. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon zest and 2 tbsp chopped parsley, and transfer the pangrattato to a bowl.

  3. 3.

    Bring 3 qt water to a boil in a large pot and season it with 1 tbsp kosher salt. Add 6 oz bucatini and cook until just shy of al dente, according to the package timing. Scoop out 3/4 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.

  4. 4.

    While the pasta cooks, return the skillet to medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Add the sliced zucchini, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper; sauté for 4 minutes, until lightly browned but still firm.

  5. 5.

    Add the minced garlic and 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes to the zucchini and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the halved tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, just until they begin to collapse.

  6. 6.

    Pour 1/2 cup dry white wine into the skillet and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Fold in the crab meat, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, and the lemon juice; cook gently for 2–3 minutes, until the crab is steaming hot.

  7. 7.

    Add the drained bucatini and 3/4 cup reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss over medium heat for 2 minutes, until the glossy sauce clings to the pasta; avoid breaking up the large pieces of crab.

  8. 8.

    Twirl the crab bucatini into two warm shallow bowls, arrange the zucchini, tomatoes, and crab attractively on top, and finish with the lemon pangrattato and 2 tbsp chopped parsley.

Drink pairing: Pour a crisp Vermentino whose citrus and saline notes complement the sweet crab and lemony sauce.