Crab & Corn Pasta with Sherry Cream Sauce

Towards the end of every summer, around Labor Day Weekend, we have a big crab leg dinner at our house with our friends. We push picnic tables together, cover them with newspaper, crack open some cold beers and feast on crab legs that are literally longer than my arm. A little drawn butter and some crusty baguettes for sopping up the goodness are all we need for a perfect end-of-summer feast. Inevitably, though, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs and we have a few giant crab legs left over the next day. So I started making this Crab & Corn Pasta with Sherry Cream Sauce as a way of using up the last of our summertime goodies, and sometimes it’s even better than the crab feast itself.

There’s nothing like the combination of crab and corn. I love it in fritters, chowders and especially this pasta. The salty crab meat and naturally sweet corn balance each other beautifully without the addition of too many other ingredients. So while this Crab & Corn Pasta with Sherry Cream Sauce may seem fancy in looks and flavor, it’s really a pretty simple recipe with less than ten ingredients.

What’s in this Crab & Corn Pasta

But as simple as it is, this dish is nothing short of heavenly. As if the crab and corn isn’t enough, we then add a creamy, luxurious sauce with the most magical ingredient (in my humble opinion) – sherry. Sherry is a Spanish wine that is fortified with a bit of brandy. It has a mellow sweetness to it and an unmistakable aroma that is just divine. If you’ve ever had lobster bisque soup in a restaurant, chances are they’ve added sherry. You can also use it on roasted vegetables. Tomatoes in particular really come alive when roasted with a bit of sherry.

Sherry is inexpensive and lasts forever, so grab a bottle and experiment with all the ways it can enhance your cooking.

The big ticket item in this dish is the crab meat. Chances are you won’t always have leftover crab legs to use in this Crab & Corn Pasta with Sherry Cream Sauce, so be sure to buy crab meat that is labeled “jumbo lump”. The flaky kind of crab is better for dips and spreads, but what’s needed in this dish is bigger chunks of crab meat. It’s crazy expensive, I know, so make this dish for special occasions.

Easy shortcuts for Crab & Corn Pasta with Sherry Cream Sauce

You may also not have ears of corn to shave off the kernels, so just buy a can of corn. We aren’t grilling the corn for this recipe, so the flavor will be comparable if you have to buy it in a can. This is one of those dishes that yes, you can make with all the late summer produce, but you can also make it in the dead of winter for a romantic date night and have it be completely fitting by just swapping in store bought crab meat and canned corn.

Since we do use the corn cobs to flavor the pasta water, you’ll just skip that step if you’re using canned corn. No big deal. You’ll still end up with an elegant, indulgent meal that is truly special. I’m talking audible “mmmms” here. Promise. Enjoy!

Crab & Corn Pasta with Sherry Cream Sauce

This luxurious and elegant dish celebrates the late summer harvest with lump crab and sweet corn

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

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• 1 lb. papardelle pasta
• 4 ears corn or 2 cups corn kernels
• 16 oz. jumbo lump crab meat
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 6 Tbsp. sherry
• 3/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

 

• Bring ears of corn to a boil in a large pot, then remove them from the water using tongs. Shave off the kernels and return the cobs to the pot of boiling water. Add pasta and cook, 5-7 minutes. Drain pasta and discard the corn cobs.
• Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Saute the garlic until it sizzles and begins to brown. Pour in the cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Stir in the sherry and salt and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Combine the pasta and sauce in a large pot over low heat. Stir in the crab meat and corn until warmed. Serve with fresh cracked pepper.

Keyword dinner, pasta, seafood

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