12 ounces fettuccine pasta (or linguine)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and finely minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup rich homemade chicken stock
1 1/2 cups freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more to garnish
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning, plus more for sprinkling on as garnish
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped Italian parsley, plus more to garnish
1 pound fresh lump Dungeness crab meat
Juice of 1/2 large lemon, to garnish
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions — just until al dente. Drain well, return pasta to pot and set aside. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, until fragrant, then add flour. Stir constantly until mixture is golden. Slowly stir in cream, and then the chicken stock, stirring constantly. Simmer gently simmer 3-4 minutes, until thick. Add cheese, stirring constantly, and simmer 2-3 minutes until cheese is completely melted. Season with Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Stir in parsley and crab meat and gently toss until evenly coated, being careful not to break up the crab meat. Add cooked pasta and gently toss again until pasta is well covered with sauce. Garnish each serving with Old Bay, parsley, cheese, and lemon juice. — Serves 4
NOTE: I found this recipe on 4/29/2021 somewhere! 😊 No originator was shown, but the recipe supposedly came from the well-known Red Lobster restaurant chain. A similar dish was prepared here in Bellevue WA at Benjamin’s Restaurant years ago, using crab, mushrooms and some mozzarella cheese over mostaccioli pasta — they called it Mostaccioli Crab Meat Supreme. Those of you who know me well know that when I prepare a published recipe here at home that appeals to me, I nearly always modify it — it’s just what I do! 😊 So yes, I’ve done it again. At our house, I’ve been known to use all heavy whipping cream in this recipe (excluding the chicken stock), just because we like it that way. It is also very tasty made with shrimp — or even a combination. Either way, it is a fairly rich (but very delicious) dish that needs only a crispy, crunchy salad of fresh greens and some tasty vino to go with it. Enjoy! 🍷