Homemade pappardelle with crab & broad beans

Make your own pappardelle and you may never go back to shop-bought pasta. Fresh crab adds a touch of luxury to a sauce rich with tomatoes and broad beans

  • Prep:1 hrs
    Cook:15 mins
    plus chilling and drying
  • Serves 4
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 416
  • fat 13g
  • saturates 3g
  • carbs 50g
  • sugars 5g
  • fibre 6g
  • protein 22g
  • salt 0.6g

Ingredients

  • 215g '00' flour
  • 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp semolina, plus extra for dusting
  • 100g broad beans, podded
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • pinch fennel seeds
  • 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
  • small pack of parsley, stalks and leaves separated and finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 8 baby plum tomatoes, halved
  • 200g fresh crabmeat, white and brown meat separated
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp chopped tarragon, to serve
  • 1 tbsp chopped chives, to serve
  • cayenne pepper, to serve (optional)

Tip

The perfect pasta

If you can, make the pasta at least two hours ahead or the day before so it has a chance to dry out – this will make the pasta more chewy.

Method

  1. Blitz the pasta ingredients in a food processor until they clump together – if too wet, add some more flour. Roll into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.

  2. Once rested, cut the pasta in half. Flatten one half, then roll with a rolling pin until it can fit into the widest setting of a pasta machine. Feed the dough through the machine, then fold it in three and pass it through this setting again. Pass it through once more, then give it a quarter turn so it fits through and roll through the widest setting again. Continue to run through the pasta machine, gradually reducing the settings to thinnest. Once you’ve run it through the thinnest setting, put the dough on a floured surface and repeat with the other half.

  3. Once both halves are rolled out, lay them flat on the surface. Square off the ends and any ragged edges, cut both in half and dust with semolina. Loosely fold each of the four lengths over itself into three, then, using a sharp knife, cut into 2cm strips and dust well with semolina. Put on a semolina-dusted tray and leave to dry out for 30 mins-1 hr (or longer) until it feels leathery.

  4. Cook the broad beans in boiling water for 2 mins, then drain and cool. Use your nails to pierce the skin, then squeeze the bright green bean into a bowl.

  5. When the pasta has dried out, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil and fennel seeds in a non-stick saucepan for a min, then add the shallots, parsley stalks, garlic and chilli. Meanwhile, boil a pan of well salted water. Cook the shallot mix for about 5-8 mins, stirring, until softened and aromatic, then add the tomatoes and parsley leaves and cook for a few more mins until the tomatoes are breaking down – add a splash of water if it starts to dry out. Stir in the brown crabmeat and some lemon juice. Reduce the heat while you cook the pasta.

  6. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 2-3 mins until al dente. Drain, reserving the pasta water, then add the pasta to the saucepan and turn the heat up to medium high. Add 1 tbsp of the pasta water and shake the pan to emulsify the sauce, using tongs to coat the pasta. Add the white crabmeat, the broad beans and some more lemon juice and stir to coat. Season and add more lemon juice to taste. Divide between plates, top with the chives and tarragon and sprinkle with cayenne pepper, if you like.

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