Healthy Recipe Crab Pasta with Broccolini

Crab Pasta with Broccolini

Looking for a healthy pasta recipe? This easy and fresh dish combines sweet crab with the delicate texture of broccoli rabe and hints of garlic and lemon zest. Grab a bottle of white wine, settle down, and enjoy a date night in with some fresh pasta by Dagostino.

Total time:
Yield: 6-8 servings

Fun Fact

What is the difference between broccoli and broccolini (broccoli rabe)? Broccolini's florets are much smaller than those of its broccoli cousin, its stems are more slender, and its leaves more plentiful. Unlike with broccoli, however, all parts of broccolini are eaten — its stalks don't require peeling because they're not as thick and tough as broccoli's.

We like it in this easy dinner recipe because it gives you the desired crunch but is more delicate than its broccoli cousin… think of a texture between broccoli and spinach. Make sure not to overcook or you’ll miss out on the desired bite.


Ingredients for Crab Pasta with Broccolini

1 lb Dagostino Ditali Pasta

1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil

8 Cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2 cups Dry white wine

2 Serrano peppers, finely chopped

1 Lemon zested

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 tbl Salted butter

1 lbs Fresh lump crab meat (not pasteurized)

2 cups Broccolini

1 tbl cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup of water

Parmesan cheese for garnish


Healthy recipe Crab Pasta with Broccolini

Directions for Crab Pasta with Broccolini

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, salt well — like the sea, add the Dagostino Ditali Pasta, and cook for 6 minutes to al dente. Drain the pasta in a collider.
  • In a saute pan, on medium heat, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic for 3 minutes or until browned.
  • Add the wine, serrano peppers, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and stir the crab meat and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the broccolini and the cornstarch mixture a little bit at a time until you get your desired consistency. Taste the sauce and season accordingly with salt and pepper.
  • Add the dagostino pasta to the saute pan and combine. Return the heat to a boil and cook shortly until most liquid is gone.
  • On each person’s plate top with parmesan cheese.

    Buon Appetito! Enjoy your Crab Pasta with Broccolini

  • About Dagostino Handmade Pasta

    From Lemons to Premium Pasta

    Our story started with lemon farmers in Sicily. In the early 19th century lemons would go on long voyages from Sicily to New Orleans, usually taking around 100 days. These Sicilians would create settlements in New Orleans and with them came pasta.

    The Fresina Family, our founders, were some of these original lemon farmers and started creating handmade pasta in New Orleans in 1926. Since then, the D’Agostino and Hayward families have continued their tradition of creating premium handmade pasta using pure semolina flour and water then cutting the pasta through bronze dies and air-drying in wooden cellars.

    Our pasta is still made the old-fashioned way, in our pasta factory, using the “delicate” method developed centuries ago. Small quantities of pasta are extruded through bronze, carefully looped over wooden rods, straightened, and then air-dried in wooden cellars. Celebrated for its delicate texture and classic flavor, our pasta is handmade, all-natural, and preservative free, producing the best tasting pasta available on the market today.

    Our sauces are some of the most authentic sauces available outside of Italy. The sauces are handmade in small batches with a unique blend of fresh herbs and spices. Made without preservatives, each batch is carefully examined by our chefs and food scientists to ensure our sauces are the best tasting on the market.

    You will experience our time honored family treasure in every meal.