This crab pappardelle is a luxurious seafood pasta that feels straight out of an Italian coastal kitchen. Tender ribbons of homemade pappardelle are tossed in a rich mushroom and cream sauce, perfectly balanced with sweet Heron Point crab meat. Each bite is silky, savory, and comforting with a touch of balsamic and thyme for depth. It’s an elegant dish that’s surprisingly simple to prepare and impossible to forget.

Instructions

Pasta sauce:

1. In a frying pan heat 2 Tb of the butter and fry sliced mushrooms until browned. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside
2. Using remaining 2 Tb butter in same pan, sauté onions until soft. Add tomato paste and continue to cook for n additional 2 minutes, stirring continuously
3. Deglaze pan with vegetable stock and heavy cream, reduce by half.
4. Add mushrooms back to the pan, and season with salt, black pepper, balsamic vinegar, dried thyme and chopped parsley
5. In small bowl, whisk cornstarch and a splash of water together. Whisk in sauce to thicken and continue to stir until homogenous, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat

Pasta dough:

1. On a flat service make a well in the ’00’ pasta flour
2. Pour the yolks in the center and stir with a fork to start combining with flour
3. Once paste begins to form, start kneading by hand, add salt and olive oil halfway through process
4. Continue kneading by hand until dough forms, dusting hands and surface with flour to prevent sticking
5. Shape kneaded dough into a square, dust with flour, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes
6. Meanwhile, set up pasta station with a pasta maker, chef’s knife, parchment lined baking tray, and two small bowls one with bench flour, and the other with the semolina
7. Remove dough from fridge and cut in half, wrapping half in plastic wrap and Ziplock bag to freeze for a later use
8. Cut remaining dough in 4 pieces
9. To roll pasta dough set pasta machine to largest setting and press dough as thin as possible with hands. Dust with flour and pass-through pasta machine
10. Continue rotating dough through pasta machine until down to desired thickness. The pasta should be rolled down to a 2 on most pasta machines
11. Cut rolled sheet of dough in half, and dust both halves with flour
12. Roll the pasta sheets into logs, and using chefs’ knife, slice dough in ¾” pieces
13. Dust and fluff cut pasta in semolina and lightly shape in a bundle on sheet tray; this is your portion
14. Repeat steps 9-13 until you have 8 portions of dough, chill dough in freezer for at least 10 minutes
15. While portioned pasta is resting in freezer, bring a large sauce pot of salted water to a boil
16. Once boiling, cook pasta by placing in water. After 30 seconds stir with a carving fork to avoid pasta from clumping together
17. Pasta will be cooked when it all floats to the top, about 3-4 minutes
18. Strain pasta through colander, return to pot and toss with crab meat, pasta sauce and parmesan. Top with parsley and serve