Tagliolini with Crab Ragu

Ingredients

• 4 ounces olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 3 pounds Blue Crabs, cleaned and split
• Pinch dried oregano
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• Salt and pepper
• 12 ounces crab stock or fish stock
• 2 quarts canned plum tomatoes, chopped with juice
• 4 ounces chopped fresh basil leaves
• 5 ounces frozen peas
• 1 pound tagliolini pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter, optional
• 6 ounces lump crabmeat

Directions

In a saute pan, add olive oil and garlic and saute for 1 minute, until golden brown. Add crabs, oregano, red pepper, salt, and pepper, and continue to saute for 5 minutes. Add crab stock to mixture and continue to saute for 4 minutes. Crab stock should be prepared ahead of time with mirepoix of vegetables and crab shells. Add tomatoes with juice. Stir and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Continue to stir until sauce has been brought to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Add basil and remove from the heat. Add frozen peas and stir.

Boil pasta in water for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente, and strain. For a more velvety sauce, add butter to the pasta before adding the sauce. Make sure the butter has been incorporated well into the pasta before adding the sauce. Season, to taste. Before adding finished sauce to pasta, remove crabs from saucepot and keep warm.

To serve, add pasta to soup bowl. Top with sauce and lump crabmeat and place 1 or 2 crab bodies on top.