Creamy Crab and Tomato Orzotto
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 shallots minced
- 2 oz tomato paste
- 2 tsp chopped Calabrian chiles more to taste
- ½ lb. orzo
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth store-bought or homemade
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 Tbsp heavy cream
- 8 oz jumbo lump crab picked through gently for shells*
- Lemon zest for serving
- Fresh chopped chives for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add in garlic and shallot and cook until soft and translucent.
- Add in tomato paste and cook until browned about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in Calabrian chilis and orzo. Stir to coat the orzo in the tomato paste.
- Deglaze with white wine. Cook, stirring, until most of the wine is cooked off.
- Add in about 1/3 of the chicken stock and cook over medium-low heat, stirring until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Repeat this process until the orzo is al dente and the mixture is creamy and still quite saucy. You want to maintain a simmer (not a boil) through this process so that the pasta cooks gently and all the liquid doesn’t cook off without the pasta being able to absorb it. This should take about 17-20 minutes
- Turn heat to low. Stir in cream and crab (save just a little for the top to garnish). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve topped with reserved crab, more olive oil, lemon zest, chives, and black pepper.
Video
Notes
*I get the container of fresh that you can find in the seafood section of the grocery store 🙂
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Unbelievably good. Don’t skip on the lemon zest at the end. I also added some grated Parmesan. I only had 2 cups of chicken broth, so I did 1 cup clam broth for the rest of my liquid and it added a nice additional seafood flavor. YUM!
This looks so good! I am thinking of making it for a pasta themed dinner party. Do you think any part of it could be made ahead?