Spicy Soft Shell Crab Fettuccine
It is soft shell crab season and the perfect time to share my recipe for Spicy Soft Shell Crab Fettucine. I first tried soft shell crabs in Virginia Beach, it is an outerbanks delicacy and the locals are very excited when the season starts. The Gulf Coast of Florida also has a soft shell season. It runs from late April to early October. I always feel compelled to celebrate dishes made with foods with a limited season (as you might have learned with my fresh fig recipes). It always feels so luxorious. I guess I like exculsivity!
A simple pasta dish, the Spicy Soft Shell Crab Fettucine is easy to prepare. White wine, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil mix with the liquid of the soft shells sautéed in extra virgin olive oil. The blistered marzano tomatoes and scallions bring a garden-fresh flavor to the fettucine. What makes this dish for me is the spicy pepper flavor. Extra virgin olive oil is infused with red pepper olive oil and I add red pepper flakes to really spice it up. For a little saltiness, freshly grated pecorino is on top. This simple dish is the perfect backdrop to the sweet and nutty soft shell crabs. I fold the crabs into the pasta, allowing them to break into pieces to get bites of the crunchy sweetness in each bite.
What Are Soft Shell Crabs?
Soft shell crabs are simply regular crabs that have out grown their current shell and are transitioning to a new one.
The crustacean creates an inner molten shell that protects it while it forms the hard more permanent shell. This process of growing a new hard shell is a quick one, taking only a couple of days. Molting occurs when the water temperature is warm. Thus the limited season.
Soft shell crabs have the same sweet taste of hard-shell blue crabs, albeit more subtle. What makes soft shells crabs unique is the shell actually adds a crunchy nuttiness not enjoyed with hard shells. If you have ever eaten a blue crab, you know that prying the meat from the shell is a pain-staking process. It is much easier to eat a soft shell crab!
The most common way to find soft shells is breaded and fried. I find that can mute the flavor. Sautéing soft shells crab maintains the buttery sweetness of the crab, producing a liquid that is perfct to coat pasta.
To Clean or Not to Clean? That is the Question
Some people pluck soft shell crabs directly from the water and fry them up whole. I prefer to have my cleaned. There is a yellow substance (the “mustard”) inside the crab. For some, the mustard is part of the alure, adding a more intense flavor. Again, that is not for me, so I like to clean my crabs. Let me be honest, I like to let my fishmonger clean my crabs. I like to cook and eat them! If you want to catch and clean your crabs I will direct you to experts. Ronnie Woo provides a fantastic and quick video demonstrating how to clean a soft shell crab.
It is best to enjoy soft shell crabs when they are fresh, so within 2-3 days of catching. Spicy Soft Shell Crab Fettuccine is perfect to enjoy in the warm summer months. This dish is easy to make for a crowd, making it perfect to enjoy for a family gathering after a day at the beach!
Ingredients
Instructions
Start with cleaned and cut soft shells. Buy them cleaned, or clean them using the video shared above. Pat readied shells with paper towel. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Boil a large pot of salted water for the fettucine. Cook according to instructions on the package.
While the fettucine is cooking. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the extra virgin olive oil. When sizziling, add the softshell crabs belly down. Cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown in color. Once cooked on both sides, remove from pan, placing on a paper-toweled lined oven-safe plate. Place in a warming oven to keep warm.
The sauce for the pasta, will use the browned bits from the pan used to cook the softshells. Return the pan to heat, add the minced garlic and white wine. Using a soft-spatula, scrape the browned bits as the wine deglazes the pan.
Once the wine is bubbling add the mini marzano tomatoes. Cook until blistered and the alcohol is cooked off the wine. Turn off the heat.
When the pasta is finished cooking immediately toss the drained fettucine with the pepper oil and scallions. Set aside until the crabs are finished cooking.
Add the pasta to the tomato sauce mixture. Add the crabs and gently toss allowing the sauce to coat the pasta and crab. The crabs will break into large pieces.
Plate the pasta and crab on four plates. Top with pecorino and additional red pepper flakes as desired.
