Spaghetti e Salsa di Granchio (Spaghetti with Crab Sauce)

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat bring the olive oil to the ripple stage and add the butter. When the butter melts add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant (do not allow it to brown), about 2 minutes. Add the pepper flakes, the salt, the ground black pepper, the basil, the parsley, the crushed tomatoes and their juices. Stir to combine the ingredients and allow to come to a simmer.
2. Increase the heat to high, add the crabs and bring to a boil. As the sauce comes to a boil lower the heat until you achieve a gentle simmer, stir in the tomato paste and cook the sauce and crabs for about 30 minutes.
3. After the 30 minutes remove the crabs to a serving bowl and keep warm in an oven set to about 150° F.
4. If there are large chunks of tomato still in the sauce and it’s not to your liking, crush them using a potato masher to achieve the consistency you prefer (from my experience, most Italians prefer their tomato sauce to be slightly chunky whereas Americans like a smoother sauce). Add the lump crab meat and wine stirring to distribute and allow the sauce to continue simmering for an additional 15 minutes until the crab meat is cooked through.
5. Lower the heat under the sauce to low to keep it warm.
6. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. When the water is rapidly boiling add the spaghetti and cook it until it is al dente (tender but still firm to the bite), 10 to 12 minutes. Drain reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
7. Meanwhile, correct the seasoning of the sauce with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. If the sauce is too tight, loosen it using a little of the reserved spaghetti cooking liquid (not too much, Italian sauces are meant to be a little tight).
8. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to combine evenly and to reheat the pasta.
9. For service either divide the sauced pasta among warmed service bowls, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and garnish with additional chiffonade basil or, for a family style service, plate the sauced pasta on a large service platter drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil and garnished with the additional chiffonade basil.

Accompany this with plenty of crusty Italian or French bread and extra red pepper flakes if you like a kick.

Note: Cheese is not typically used as an accompaniment to seafood pasta sauces.