The ultimate crab pasta recipe from Padella

As Padella expands to Shoreditch, chef Tim Siadatan shares his crowd-pleasing crab pasta recipe
Padella's crab pasta
Tim Siadatan20 February 2020

If you’ve been to Padella, count yourself lucky — not just to have sampled the fresh pasta for which this Borough Market restaurant is famous, but to have navigated the near constant queues for a table.

You’re in with a better chance, though, now that a new branch has opened in Shoreditch. ‘The success of Padella took us by surprise,’ says Tim Siadatan, chef and founder. ‘I don’t think anyone should plan for that to happen — you’d either have to be mad or extremely arrogant!’

A clutch of awards (and numerous copycat pasta restaurants) later, it’s clear Siadatan was on to something with his fresh, no-frills approach. ‘Before Padella opened, I don’t think there was anyone in London doing pasta the way we do it,’ he tells me. ‘There weren’t that many places you could eat good pasta, especially not affordably.’

This recipe is one of the most popular from Padella’s menu. ‘It’s a substantial meal, but it has a lightness thanks to the crab,’ says Siadatan, making it an ideal dish for spring. It’s also easy to make at home, with picked crab from a good fishmonger. ‘The brown crab just gives it a bit more substance, and a taste of the sea.’

Padella

Tagliarini with crab, chilli and lemon - serves 4

80g white cooked and picked crab meat

80g brown cooked and picked crab meat

1 chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

400g dried spaghetti or linguine

50g unsalted butter

Salt and pepper

In a bowl, mix together the white and brown crab meat, chilli, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with a good grind of pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add salt until it tastes roughly like seawater. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, add a splash of pasta cooking water to a separate pan, add the butter and melt on a low heat, then add the crab mixture.

When the pasta is cooked, remove it from the water and add it to the crab mixture, keeping the pasta cooking water to one side. Vigorously toss the pasta in the pan for at least 30 seconds, adding a splash more starchy cooking water if it starts to dry up. Continue cooking the pasta until the sauce emulsifies. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve immediately.

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