Bubbling Baked Crab & Parmesan Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

Sea salt
200g gnocchetti or fusilli pasta
100g kale
1 red onion
1 garlic clove
2 vine tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp plain flour
500ml full cream milk
40g Parmesan
A pinch or 2 of cayenne pepper
100g white crab meat

Total: 40 mins

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Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Fill a medium pan with boiling water, cover and pop it on a high heat. When the water is boiling, add a pinch of salt and the pasta. Simmer for 5 mins. While the pasta is cooking, strip the kale leaves off their stalks and finely shred them. When the pasta has cooked for 5 mins, add the kale leaves to the pan. Simmer for 2 mins, then drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the red onion. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Dice 1 tomato. Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and tomato to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, till starting to soften.

3. Stir 2 tbsp flour into the pan and cook for 1 min, stirring frequently. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly, to make a smooth, thick sauce. Bring to a simmer and gently cook for 5 mins till starting to thicken a little. Grate in most of the Parmesan (save a pinch or 2 for later). Add a pinch of cayenne pepper (cayenne pepper is very spicy, so use as much or little as you prefer). Stir in the crab meat. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

4. Add the pasta and kale to the pan with the sauce and fold together. Tip everything into a deep baking dish. Thinly slice the remaining tomato and arrange it on top of the pasta bake. Sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan. Slide the dish into the oven and bake for 15-20 mins, till bubbling and golden on top.

5. Divide the crab pasta bake between a couple of warm bowls and serve straight away.