Lindsay’s Feast presents Summer: Crab and Tarragon Tagliatelle

by Lindsday Radcliffe

A couple of years ago, I packed up my frantic London life and set off for the countryside. Along with the move, I launched my blog, The Feast, to document my obsession with food. I’m an unschooled home-cook, with no greater knowledge than other home-cooks across the country. On Lindsay’s Feast, I share my culinary wisdom and (mis)adventures. Whether it’s meeting local producers, swishing across the pond to learn the finer points of wine-tasting, or quite simply battering around my own kitchen attempting to make meringues. I have an excessive sweet-tooth and have never been known to turn down a pudding.

Over the years I’ve lived in Hong Kong, Spain and South Africa, and each place, along with its food, has become a little part of who I am. I now live in a tiny cottage in a bustling Hampshire village. While I may endlessly complain about the rain and threaten to emigrate to the southern hemisphere at least twice a week, this cottage, with its miniscule kitchen and lop-sided stove, is starting to feel very much like home.

Crab and Tarragon Tagliatelle

This simple recipe perfectly captures my approach to cooking during these slow summer months. It barely involves any effort, is ready in a flash and is made for those lazy evenings when you’d rather be soaking up the last of the sunshine, instead of slaving away at the stove.

Crab and tarragon is an iconic flavour combination that goes particularly well with flat-ribbon pasta like linguine, tagliatelle and fettuccine. The result is light, yet filling and an ideal companion to a chilled glass of Mirabeau Pure. The recipe can easily be adapted to one’s taste preferences. I quite often add an extra pinch of chilli flakes and a little more lemon juice to really bring out the crab. 

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 200g tagliatelle
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Splash of rosé
• 200g white crab meat
• Large handful tarragon, chopped with a few leaves reserved for garnishing.
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• Zest and juice of 1⁄2 lemon

Method

1. Cook the tagliatelle according to the packets instructions and drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water (I used fresh egg tagliatelle so this only took a couple of minutes).
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the shallots, cooking gently for about 3 minutes until translucent, but not browned.
3. Add the chopped garlic and cook for further 30 seconds before adding a splash of rosé. Let the alcohol sizzle away and then add the drained tagliatelle, along with a little of the pasta cooking water.
4. Remove from the heat and stir through the crab, chopped tarragon, chilli flakes, lemon zest and juice. Toss everything together, garnishing with few extra tarragon leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.
5. Serve immediately with a chilled glass of Mirabeau Pure.