Crab Fra Diavolo with Calabrian Chili Lumache

Pick through the crab meat for any bits of shell and set aside. 

Place a medium dutch oven over medium low heat and drizzle in the olive oil. Add in the onions and saute without browning for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes until soft and fragrant. Sprinkle in the oregano and chili flakes and stir again. Saute about 2 minutes to bloom the spices. 

Pour in the white wine and bring up to a simmer. Reduce the wine by half, then pour in the crushed tomatoes. Stir well to combine, then add in the clam juice and salt. Stir, then bring up to a low simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, to let the flavors start to infuse, then gently fold in the crab. Let the sauce simmer while you cook the pasta.

Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 tablespoon of pasta water before straining.

Add the pasta and reserved water into the fra diavolo sauce and stir to coat. Cook for another 2 minutes to let the sauce bind to the pasta, then serve with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

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Chef's Note: The heat of the sauce can be adjusted by adding more or less red chili flakes. For a milder, richer flavor, add a splash of cream when you add in the crab. For a slightly different spin, swap the crab for shrimp or scallops.

Pasta Swaps: This recipe would also work well with Radiators, Bigoli, or Vesuvio.