Crab and Fennel Linguine

Instructions

1. Prepare Ingredients

   10 min hands-on

   • Slice the garlic into discs.
   • Chop the parsley, including stalks.
   • Mince the fennel bulb.
   • Chop the chili finely with seeds.
   • Zest and juice the lemons, keeping them separate.
   • Drain and chop the anchovies, reserving their oil.

2. Cook Fennel Base

   6 min hands-on

   • Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
   • Add fennel and sauté for 5–7 minutes until softened and caramelized.
   • Season with salt and pepper.

3. Build the Sauce

   2 min hands-on4 min waiting

   • Push fennel to one side of the pan.
   • Add garlic, parsley stalks, chili, anchovies, reserved anchovy oil, and remaining olive oil.
   • Cook for 2 minutes on medium-low heat until garlic is fragrant.
   • Pour in wine and deglaze the pan, simmering for 3–4 minutes.

4. Prepare Pasta

   10 min hands-on

   • Boil salted water and cook pasta until al dente.
   • Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

5. Cook Crab

   1 min hands-on4 min waiting

   • Add crab meat to the fennel and sauce mixture.
   • Cover and cook for 4–5 minutes on low heat until crab is tender.

6. Combine Pasta and Sauce

   3 min hands-on

   • Add drained pasta to the pan with sauce and crab.
   • Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water gradually to loosen sauce.

7. Finish with Lemon and Herbs

   2 min hands-on

   • Stir in lemon juice and half the lemon zest.
   • Add chopped parsley, reserving some for garnish.
   • Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

8. Serve

   1 min hands-on

   • Plate the pasta with crab, fennel, and sauce.
   • Garnish with remaining lemon zest and parsley. Serve hot.
   • Cooking tips:
   • Toast fennel seeds before adding fennel for extra flavor.
   • Use a splash of lemon juice at the end to brighten the dish.
   • Sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs or crushed fennel fronds for crunch.