Variations on a theme: pasta with crab, snap peas and lemon

To the astute reader,  it is clear that Annalena makes a lot of pasta dishes which incorporate fish , and vegetables into the dish.  Indeed. Fish cooks quickly,  you don't need a tremendous amount of it with a dish like pasta, and it's a good way to get some protein into you, when you're having a meal based on starch. (Let Annalena clarify immediately that she is all in favor of dishes based on starch.  For those of us who are trying to balance the endless variations on what we should and should not eat however, one thing does remain constant: protein and carbohydrate should be a part of  your diet.  Where we fight is over how much of each).

Ok, philosophical diatribe over.  One of the more popular items on this blog (at least based on the hits), is a recipe for a pasta dish with shrimp and peas.  Indeed, Annalena's erstwhile Italian teacher Jonathan wrote her not that long ago to tell her that (i) he was making it, and (ii) it was pretty good.  Annalena told you all in that discussion that you could substitute other things , like scallops, and asparagus, for the shrimp, and peas.  The key issue was:  how fast do they cook?

Well, this time, we only have to worry about the vegetables.  And the story of why this recipe is here.  Annalena hopes you are doing exactly what she did.

Last evening, faced with the news that the restaurant she and the Guyman were going to had lost its liquor license (a fact they chose not to tell Annalena when she made the reservation three weeks ago - at which point they had already lost their license , and not at all revealed on their website, which presents a cocktail and wine menu), she hustled to find a place to eat, three hours before dinner time.  On a Saturday night.

La coppia found a warm welcome at  Trestle and Tenth, where they had not been for a while.  And on the menu was a dish that could be had in a half or full portion: tagliarini with crab, snap peas and lemon.

Well..  Annalena had defrosted some dungeness crab meat to use "somehow," and of course, there are always lemons in the house .  There were string beans, but she was going shopping.  And there was fresh pasta.  This could work.  This could be done in about fifteen minutes.

See, ragazzi, when you buy crab meat, it is already cooked.  Raw crabmeat is not meat: it's gel.  Annalena could draw parallels for you, but why gross you out?  So there was no need to cook the stuff.  And snap peas cook in two minutes - literally.  And so, the dish was born.  Here we go, with some ideas for substitution.

Here, we are going to use the "rule of 12," i.e, we are going to want 12 ounces of crab meat ( a cup and a half), 12 ounces of pasta (3/4 of a pound), 12 ounces of snap peas.  Take the snap peas, and break them in half.  You can cut them, but it will take less time if you do it by hand.  Have them, and the crab meat ready, as a large pot of salted water comes to the boil.  Drop in your pasta - any type - and about 3 minutes before you are ready to drain it, add the snap peas.

In the time that the pasta is cooking, grate the rind from one large lemon very finely.  Keep that aside. That is your "cheese" here.

When the pasta is aldente to your taste, drain it, and the peas.  Off the heat, stir them together with the crab meat.  Add some fresh black pepper, and then when you plate it,  sprinkle some of the lemon over it.

Some thoughts:  well, Annalena's friend Bobby  has been wondering what to do with a can of salmon for a while.  Perhaps this, with some asparagus.  If you have some fish left over from a prior dinner.  You could even drain some high quality tuna, and use that.   What's to stop  you from cutting some cherry tomatoes in half and adding them?  Or using something other than asparagus, peas, or snap peas?  What of broccoli florets, for example?  Simply choose things that will cook quickly.

Lemon is really required here, but don't use the juice. It will overwhelm things.  And no cheese, please.  If you feel the pasta is a little dry (and some can feel that way), add a bit of olive oil, or less desirably a pat of butter.

This will serve you up three large portions, or four smaller ones.    It will take you more time to buy the fish than to make this meal.  Go for it.   Speed is not everything , but when it results in something nutritious, natural, and tasty, "it's a good thing"