JUDY'S SOFT- SHELL CRABS AND PASTA

As if our freezer were short of crabs, I couldn't believe that Guy came home with soft-shell crabs! We have king crabs, snow crabs and Blue Claws in the freezer now. See why we call him "the crab Guy"?

I decided to cook the soft-shells the way I do clams and spaghetti. The only real change I made was to add fresh basil from our garden. Guy really enjoyed this dish a lot. He hardly came up for air when he was eating. I told him not to bring home any more soft-shells until we empty the freezer of crabs. But he said he wanted fried soft-shells. So I guess I'll
be seeing more soft-shells soon.
The red strips you see in the photos are home-grown hot peppers. I left the seeds and membrane in, so they gave a nice heat to the dish, which Guy likes.
While I was making his soft-shells and pasta, I was also cooking something for me, since I just can't eat crabs as often as he can. I know, I know. I'm supposed to be the Crab Lady. But what that means is that I'm kind of forced into finding new recipes for the crabs because the crab Guy keeps bringing crabs home.

Judy's Soft-Shell Crabs & Pasta
1/2 lb. thin spaghetti
2 Tbsp. Smart Balance buttery spread
1-1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 fresh or dried hot pepper, halved
6 soft-shell crabs, cleaned
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup drinking-quality white wine


Cook spaghetti in salted water according to manufacturer's directions. Drain; return to pot with the Smart Balance. Toss to melt butter. While spaghetti is cooking, start crab sauce. In large heavy skillet, over medium heat, melt the oil & butter. Add onion, garlic and hot pepper; saute for 4-6 minutes, or till onions are transparent, taking care not to burn the garlic. Pat crabs dry with paper towel; turn heat to high and add crabs to skillet. Cook 2 minutes; turn crabs over, breaking them up as you turn them, and add the herbs and wine. Let everything sizzle for a minute, then cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is done and ready. Place a serving of pasta in a bowl or on a plate and top with half the crab sauce. Serves 2