So Good Shrimp & Crab Spaghetti

A coastal Louisiana approach to spaghetti night where the crabs go into the pot half-shell and all. Cooked in their bodies, the crab meat stays sweet while the shells leak briny depth into the tomato sauce, building flavor money can’t buy.

The shrimp join late and cook through in minutes. The bigger move comes at the end, dropping uncooked spaghetti directly into the simmering sauce. The pasta drinks up the seafood broth as it softens, fusing noodles and sauce instead of leaving them as separate components.

Chili powder gives the dish its Cajun lean, sugar balances the tomato paste’s edge, and butter rounds out the heat. Eat with bibs, this is hands-on.

Pro Tips

• Pull the top shells but leave bodies intact, the inner meat stays moist and the cavities hold sauce
• Stir the spaghetti often once it goes in, it sticks to the bottom of the pot if left alone
• Add a splash of water if the sauce thickens too much before the pasta finishes cooking
• Serve immediately, the noodles keep absorbing liquid and turn dense if held too long

Variations

• Substitute lump crabmeat for whole crabs and stir in at the end with the shrimp
• Toss in andouille sausage for a smoky Creole pivot
• Use linguine or fettuccine in place of spaghetti for a heartier noodle