Garlic Butter Dungeness Crab Linguine with Charred Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

Fill a large pot with water and add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Bring to a boil.

While water is heating, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes.

Carefully place whole dungeness crabs in the boiling water. Cook for 8-10 minutes until shells turn bright red.

Using tongs, transfer crabs to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let cool for 5 minutes.

On a clean work surface, place cooled crabs and remove the top shell by pulling from the back. Discard gills and clean out the body cavity.

Crack the legs and claws using a seafood cracker or the back of a knife. Gently extract all the meat from the body, legs, and claws, being careful to remove any shell fragments. You should have about 1 pound of crab meat. Set aside.

Mince 6 garlic cloves and finely dice 1 shallot.

Wash 2 cups of cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Set aside.

Wash and dry 1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves. Stack the leaves, roll them tightly, and slice into thin ribbons (chiffonade). Set aside.

Zest the lemon and then cut it in half. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.

Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the hot oil in a single layer. Let them cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until they begin to char on one side.

Toss the tomatoes gently and continue cooking for another 2 minutes until they begin to burst and release their juices. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium-low. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and let it melt.

Add the minced garlic and diced shallot. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and translucent, being careful not to brown the garlic.

Add 1/3 cup of white wine to the skillet and simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add 12 ounces of linguine and cook according to package directions until al dente (typically 9-11 minutes).

While pasta cooks, add the crab meat to the garlic butter mixture. Gently fold to coat the crab meat, being careful not to break it up too much. Cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes just to warm through.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and the zest of one lemon to the crab mixture. Stir gently.

Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining the linguine.

Add the drained linguine directly to the skillet with the crab mixture. Toss gently to coat the pasta, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.

Add the charred tomatoes back to the skillet and gently fold them in.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss until the butter is melted and the pasta is glossy.

Squeeze juice from half the lemon over the pasta and toss again.

Remove from heat and fold in most of the basil ribbons, reserving some for garnish.

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Divide the pasta among four warm plates, ensuring each serving has plenty of crab meat.

Garnish with remaining basil ribbons and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.