Gemelli with Lump Crab, Mushrooms, and Asparagus
Try this recipe for Gemelli with Lump Crab, Mushrooms, and Asparagus, or contribute your own.
Try this recipe for Gemelli with Lump Crab, Mushrooms, and Asparagus, or contribute your own.
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 lb of gemelli pasta cooked per instructions (retain 1/4 cup of pasta water)
- 1-2 tsp of olive oil
- 8 oz button mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup of lump crab meat
- 7 spears of asparagus ends removed, cut into thirds
- 2 tbsp shallots chopped
- 3-4 cloves of garlic minced
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
- sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- Carbohydrate 16.3380178147095 g
- Cholesterol 66.5062500331701 mg
- Fat 25.2660036970254 g
- Fiber 3.38517719809956 g
- Protein 9.67200212345666 g
- Saturated Fat 15.7269099735134 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (543g)
- Sodium 288.49827128533 mg
- Sugar 12.95284061661 g
- Trans Fat 1.89626139847053 g
- Calories 320 calories
Step-by-step
- Melt 2 tbsp butter and 1-2 tsp of olive oil in a pan.
- Add 2 tbsp shallots chopped and 3-4 cloves of garlic minced, cooking until fragrant.
- Add 8 oz button mushrooms sliced and 7 spears of asparagus ends removed, cut into thirds, cooking until tender.
- Stir in 1 cup of lump crab meat, the zest and juice of 2 lemons, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper to taste, warming through gently.
- Toss in 1/2 lb of gemelli pasta cooked per instructions along with the reserved 1/4 cup of pasta water.
- Mix in 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated and 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped before serving.
Substituting dried long-strand pasta for gemelli alters sauce adhesion; helical shapes trap delicate particulate matter like shredded crab meat within their tight coils, whereas smooth strands allow heavy elements to slide off completely. Umami compounds within button mushrooms undergo Maillard browning when exposed to direct pan heat above 140 degrees Celsius, creating savory precursors that complement the natural sweetness of crustacean flesh. Shallots and garlic release sulfurous allicin compounds when minced, softening rapidly in hot fat without developing acrid burnt notes if kept below medium heat for two minutes. Asparagus spears require precise blanching or sautéing to break down tough structural cellulose while preserving bright chlorophyll pigments; removing woody ends manually by snapping rather than cutting ensures fibers break strictly at their natural transition point. Deglazing the pan with fresh lemon juice introduces citric acid, which cuts through heavy dairy fats from butter and parmesan while brightening the saline profile of the seafood.
Coastal Italian coastal traditions historically paired sweet swimming crabs with local spring vegetables, balancing marine salinity against tender garden shoots. Retaining starchy cooking liquid allows emulsification of starches with added fats, producing a cohesive coating rather than an oily separation.
