Spicy Crab Bucatini

This post is sponsored by Garofalo® Pasta. All comments and opinions are my own.

If you’re looking for an elevated yet easy dinner that’s ready in under thirty minutes, this recipe is for you! Nothing compares to an occasional bowl of gorgeous pasta and when we crave it, I use the best possible quality for delicious and consistent results. I’ve always believed (obvious from the kind of work that I do) that creating a meal is about more than cooking, it’s about celebrating family and making sure that everything I put on our table is something I’m always proud to serve.  

Garofalo® was established in 1789 in Gragnano, Italy, the homeland of pasta! They are more than 200 years old and produce gourmet pasta for everyday meals like my grandma’s mezze rigatoni and meat sauce recipe from a few weeks ago, and this spicy crab pasta! You can find a nice selection in the pasta aisle at your local The Fresh Market (one of my favorite stores to spend hours in!) or order online via Instacart if that option is available near you. What makes them different? Garofalo uses a traditional bronze-dye to give their pasta a coarse and porous texture so your sauce will cling to it better, all their pasta is crafted from 100% highest-quality durum wheat semolina, and to be honest, I just think the quality and variety is superior to other brands I’ve tried. Using their bucatini for my spicy crab sauce turned out to be an excellent choice in terms of texture, but please feel free to substitute your favorite shape. Garofalo spaghetti, linguine and calamarata are other shapes that we always have on hand. 

How do I make Spicy Crab Bucatini?

You only need a few high quality ingredients to make this recipe. Crab is in season so if you can find fresh crab, that’s wonderful, however, there are so many frozen and already prepared products these days that are relatively easy to source. I recommend using lump or jumbo lump crab which is mostly white meat in chunks that will hold its own in the sauce. If you’re unable to find crab, a good quality jarred tuna or even scallops could work. 

Start by sautéing sliced sweet yellow onion in olive oil with garlic. Add your favorite chopped tomato sauce, seasoning, fresh parsley and wait for it….chili garlic paste! I find that this Vietnamese condiment brought an incredible depth of flavor to this recipe, and just the right amount of heat to complement the sweetness of the crab. Most of us already have it in our refrigerators so now is the time to get creative and use up those condiments! I hope you give it a try! Other alternatives to chili garlic paste would be Calabrian chili paste, fresh red chili, or dried red pepper flakes but stay away from chili pastes that are too distinctive in flavor like gochujang or sriracha. We want clean heat, not earthy. Once the sauce is cooked down, a bit of pasta water is added and then the cooked crab is folded in. Lastly, we add our Garofalo bucatini to create a next level dinner that everyone will love. Finish off with some lemon juice and zest, and serve with a chilled glass of wine. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Spicy Crab Bucatini
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 4

Ingredients

½ lb package Garofalo bucatini pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced 
14-16 oz can chopped Italian tomatoes 
1 tablespoon Vietnamese chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh black pepper
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley plus more for serving
1 ½ cups cooked lump crab meat
Optional: fresh lemon juice and zest

Method

Cook bucatini pasta in boiling salted water according to the Garofalo instructions. This shape will cook perfectly in 14 minutes while you prepare the sauce.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent, then add tomatoes, chili garlic sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes until sauce is reduced. Taste to see whether the sauce needs some sugar to balance the acidity. 

Add a few tablespoons of pasta water to the skillet to thin the sauce slightly, followed by crab and parsley. Cook until heated through then toss in strained bucatini. Adjust seasonings, add fresh herbs and lemon then plate and serve immediately. 

Grandma’s Meat Sauce Pasta with Burrata

This little recipe isn’t complicated, doesn’t pretend to be something else. It has always been there in times when my grandmother knew she had to feed us cousins something we would actually eat after school. Using what she had in her pantry she created this easy meat sauce, but her hand was heavy and she often overseasoned. The large amount of pepper is what we as kids came to love and crave, even though we are now spread out around the world and it’s 20 years later. I’ve had many requests for the recipe, but struggled to share something I knew that Italian nonna’s might critcize for not being authentic. It is just a basic recipe that my South African grandma made from her heart, so please adjust whatever you like to your taste. The cloves aren’t really optional because it gives this dish that signature South African flavor (clove, mace, cinnamon and nutmeg are hugely popular ingredients in savory meat dishes!), just be sure to scoop it out before serving :) I can’t tell you how many times she forgot, and had one of us very shocked after biting into one. If you prefer some spice, add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes and some hot smoked paprika. If you follow a vegetarian diet, I recommend trying plant based protein like Beyond products or soy mince. Burrata is entirely optional, you could either leave it out or use a nice shaving of Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil 
1 large onion, finely minced
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh black pepper
1 tbsp dried herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary)
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups crushed tomatoes (2 x 14.5 Oz cans OR 1 28 Oz)
1 tbsp sugar
2-3 whole cloves (the spice)
2 cups water or stock of your choice

1 package cooked pasta of your choice, plus 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water
To serve: Fresh parsley, burrata, cracked black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil

Guidelines:

Sauté onions, green pepper and garlic using the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot until the onions are translucent (10 minutes). Add ground beef and brown, 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the salt, pepper, herbs and tomato paste. Continue to cook while stirring, 10 minutes.

Add the crushed tomatoes, cloves, sugar and water or stock - Turn heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring halfway through. The sauce should reduce somewhat and become darker in color. Remove cloves.

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix through very gently with the heat on the lowest setting. My grandmother would add some of the pasta water to thin it out just a bit, then allow it to cook for 5 minutes more and add an optional tbsp of butter to make the sauce glisten. The best part for us was that the pasta was tender having soaked up all the sauce.

Plate and top with pieces of burrata, fresh pepper, olive oil and fresh parsley.

Serves 4-6

Cook Once, Eat Twice: Easy Korean-style Ground Beef

This post is a collaboration with Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. on behalf of the Beef Checkoff. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.

Did you know that 40% of all food in America goes uneaten? That food waste cost the average American family $2,500 annually? 

I’ve been thinking a lot about the current reality for all of us. Many of us are uncertain about the future, many of us are trying to save as much as possible while feeding our families nutritiously at the same time. A lot of the conversations I’ve had lately are with readers who are trying to find ways to use leftovers in creative ways in order to reduce waste.  Beef is one of the least wasted commodities produced in the U.S. - We waste about 20 percent, but could reduce that number by 10 percent simply by cutting waste in half. Learn more about Beef Sustainability by clicking this link. I’d love to share some of the ways I cut down on waste and this easy recipe for Korean-inspired beef or Bulgogi, that makes a delicious leftover salad for you to enjoy the next day.

Shopping for Beef:

The freezer is your ally in the fight against food waste! A few things that I’ve found helpful as I’ve grown into a more confident cook:

- I’ve always gone shopping in my freezer before making a trip to the grocery store. It’s likely that you already have quite a few ingredients hidden in there that can be used. 

- Ground beef is versatile. I often purchase it in bulk because it’s what I use most. It can feed many people and is cost-effective, especially as an addition to meals containing vegetables and whole grains. If you happen to purchase beef in bulk, weigh and portion however much you need for specific recipes and freeze them so that defrosting and cooking reduces waste. Vacuum sealing or using airtight containers have always worked for me.

To ensure consumers are armed with knowledge to have the best eating experience with beef, the Beef Checkoff provides some quick tips on how to safely handle and prepare beef when cooking at home. Click this link to learn more.

It’s planned-overs, not leftovers!

This Korean-inspired beef recipe is typically made with thinly sliced ribeye, but because ground beef also cooks quickly it’s a perfect alternative. The flavorful sweet and mildly spicy beef is repurposed very well when used as a salad topper the next day, and you don’t even need much. All you need to do is crisp leftovers up in a skillet , add to fresh greens, and top with slices of apple. Who needs croutons when you’ve got crispy beef?

You’ve usually seen my Instagram images of steak one day and a delicious salad the next - There simply is no better way to ensure that every morsel gets eaten but most importantly, enjoyed! Being intentional when cooking and meal-prepping is key.

- The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults consume 5.5 ounces of protein foods per day (on a 2,000 calorie diet), which includes lean meats, like beef. Make leftovers go further by maintaining proper portion sizes and fill the rest of your plate with colorful vegetables. 

- Spices and condiments are a great way to turn leftovers into something completely different. For instance, you could cook a pound of ground beef, portion and store it safely in the refrigerator then add different spices to each batch to create different meals. Cooked beef can be stored in the refrigerator at 40 degrees F for a total of 3-4 days to keep meat safe and fresh. Click here for the USDA guidelines for proper cooking of beef - Very handy if you’re meal-prepping and unsure of cooking temperatures.
Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner also has a lot of helpful tips and recipes that you can use to make the most out of whichever cut of beef you have. I’d love to hear some of your ideas! 

What do I need to make this recipe?

Just one pound of beef and the above ingredients. Most are available at your local grocery store. Mushrooms are really delicious in this recipe as well, but not mandatory.

Recipe: Easy Korean-style Beef
Prep Time: 15 minutes + 1 hour marinating time
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 

Ingredients

1 pound Ground Beef
1 medium yellow onion, halved
1 small apple, peeled and cut into quarters
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds plus more to serve
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 ½ tablespoons honey
2-3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1-2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Equipment: Blender, large skillet.

Method:

Place half the onion, apple, garlic, sesame seeds, ginger paste, pepper, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, honey and soy sauce in the jar of a food processor. Puree until smooth.

Place Ground Beef in a mixing bowl and pour marinade over. Use a spoon to gently mix and cover. Refrigerate beef for a minimum of 30 minutes to 2 hours. 

When ready to cook, remove beef from the refrigerator and slice the remaining onion. Add to skillet with beef and carrots then cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add green onion and cook for another 5 minutes until cooked through. Sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and serve with your favorite side dishes.  Refrigerate any leftovers for tomorrow!

Crispy Beef Salad with Apple
Prep  Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Serves: 2

Ingredients:

6 -ounces leftover Korean-style Ground Beef
4 cups washed tender green lettuce
1 small apple, sliced
¼ cup chopped green onion

For the vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method:

Reheat beef in a small skillet over medium heat until lightly caramelized, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Plate 2 cups of lettuce per person, top with beef and apple, followed by green onion. 

Place vinaigrette ingredients in a jar and shake until emulsified. Divide amongst servings and enjoy!

Ravioli with Peas, Prosciutto and Burrata

There are days when extra time to make something from scratch is possible, and other days… when grabbing something premade and turning it into your own creation is the only way. I have mentioned before that I’m more of a 80% homemade 20% premade kind of girl anyways. Just keeping it real. This recipe is easy enough to throw together on a weeknight, but looks really fancy. I love peas but any vegetable of your choice could bring a touch of green and freshness here. Watercress was in season and the bitter peppery taste really went well with the black pepper and otherwise creamy flavors in this pasta dish. I’m thinking that arugula would be a great alternative should you not be able to find watercress. Side note: I used one pan to make everything to spare myself from doing too many dishes, but it’s not necessary.

Ingredients:
(Serves 2-4)

1 10oz bag fresh spinach & ricotta ravioli (I love this brand)
2 cups frozen peas
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 slices prosciutto
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
2 4oz burrata cheese
zest and juice of 1 small lemon
1 cup fresh watercress

Guidelines:

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add ravioli and peas, then gently stir to separate any ravioli that might be stuck together. Lower heat to medium and drain ravioli after exactly 4 minutes, discarding the pasta water. Or I could just say “Parboil ravioli and peas for 4 minutes, drain using a colander, and set aside.”

Place saucepan back on the heat. Add olive oil and lay prosciutto slices flat in the pan, cook for 1-2 minutes until crisp, remove from pan and set aside. It will crisp up more as it cools - A plate lined with paper towel is great to absorb any extra oil.

Add butter, garlic and parboiled pasta with peas to the saucepan. It will have that crispy prosciutto flavored oil in it - A great thing. Season everything with black pepper and chives, then sauté until lightly toasted in places - 5 minutes. Try not to stir too much so that the ravioli gets a good chance to get crispy. I did not add any salt to this because the prosciutto provides enough for us.

Remove from heat and divide pasta amongst serving dishes, followed by burrata which you just gently break apart and layer on top, followed by lemon juice and zest, then crumbled prosciutto and watercress.

Serve immediately :)