A vibrant and flavourful 15-minute pasta dish that combines sweet crab meat, zesty lemon, and spicy chilli oil with tender asparagus. Finished with a creamy crème fraîche and fresh parsley, this dish offers a perfect balance of heat, freshness, and indulgence—ideal for a quick yet sophisticated meal.
SERVES: 2-3
PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 15 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS:
180g spaghetti
2–3 tbsp Banhoek Chili Oil
1 mild red chilli
1 lemon
60g asparagus
⅓ cup crème fraîche (about 80g)
100g white crab meat
25g parsley
Salt and black pepper as needed
METHOD:
Prep your ingredients. Zest the 1 lemon and set the zest aside, then cut the lemon in half. Deseed and finely chop the 1 mild red chilli. Trim about 2cm from the base of the 60g of asparagus, then slice the stalks thinly on a diagonal, keeping the tips whole. Finely chop the 25g parsley, removing any tough stems
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Use just enough water to cook your pasta, so you yield a lovely starchy water. This will help bind and thicken the sauce later.
Cook the 180g spaghetti until very al dente. Drain about 1–2 minutes before the cook time outlined on the packet. Before draining, reserve about a ladle or two of the pasta cooking water.
Once the pasta is drained, set a large frying pan over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons Banhoek Chilli Oil, then add the lemon zest and chopped chilli. Let them sizzle for about 30 seconds to infuse the oil.
Add about 150 ml of the reserved pasta water, then toss in the asparagus. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the asparagus is bright green and just tender.
Add the drained spaghetti to the pan and the ⅓ cup crème fraîche. Toss well to coat the pasta, loosening with more pasta water if needed to make it glossy and saucy. Taste the pasta; it should have finished cooking in the sauce.
Turn off the heat. Stir through the parsley, season generously with salt and black pepper, and finally fold in the 100g white crab meat just to warm through.
Finish with another drizzle of Banhoek Chilli Oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
Divide between plates, serve and enjoy
