Asparagus & Crab Linguine

Whether eating in or out, seafood has always been my top choice. There is just something about seafood that I can't get enough of. It's light, delicate and packed with flavors. It also seems like that when the weather gets hotter and my craving grows stronger too. What else can beat a bowl of delicious seafood linguine with nicely chilled Chardonnay on a beautiful summer day?

This time I splurged a little bit on really good pasta from the "fancy" organic grocery store in our neighborhood. Maybe next time I should try to make some fresh pasta from scratch.

I never realized peeling asparagus into thin ribbons can be this hard and time consuming. I wonder if there is any tricks out there that I'm unawared of.

ASPARAGUS & CRAB LINGUINE
(Recipe is from Jamie magazine July 2010 issue)
serves 4 - 6

500g linguine
A large knob of butter
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (bashed with pestle and mortar. I used my rolling pin rolled on the seeds)
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
300g crabmeat
2 bunches of asparagus (shred into long thing strips by using a peeler)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Pea shoots, to serve

1. Cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, melt the butter with a little oil in a frying pan. Add bashed fennel seeds and chilli to the pan, fry for a minute. Then add crab to heat through. Remove from the heat
2. Drain the pasta when it's done, reserving a cup of the pasta water and add the pasta to the frying pan with crab on medium heat. Add asparagus, zest and juice of the lemon and toss well, add a little pasta water to loosen and season to taste.
3. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, topped with pea shoots.