Cheesy and extravagant or just fuss-free and fresh, pasta dishes are a natural crowd-puller.

Prep time 30 mins Cooking time 25 mins Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

400g “00” flour

100g day-old crustless sourdough bread, processed to fine breadcrumbs 60ml olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to serve

CRAB AND GINGER SAUCE

125ml mild-flavoured extra-virgin olive oil (½ cup)

20g peeled ginger, julienned

4 small garlic cloves, very finely chopped 2-4 red birdseye chillies, or to taste, seeds removed (optional), finely chopped 400g cooked spanner crab meat, drained

METHOD

Process flour and 200ml water in a food processor until a dough forms. If necessary, add a couple of teaspoons extra water to bring it together. Knead on a lightly floured surface to a smooth ball, 2-3 mins, then wrap in plastic wrap and leave to rest for 30-40 mins. Roll pieces of dough about the size of a large pea to a thin rope, dusting with flour to prevent sticking, then twirl around a small craft rod or chopstick (a knitting needle is traditional) to form a corkscrew shape. Slide off and set aside on a lightly floured tray to dry, at least 3 hours or overnight.

To make pangrattato, preheat oven to 200°C. Toss breadcrumbs, oil, garlic and parsley in a bowl and season. Spread on an oven tray and bake until golden brown and crisp, 10-15 mins. For crab and ginger sauce, heat oil in a large saucepan over low-medium heat. Add ginger, garlic and chilli and sauté until fragrant and softened, 5-6 mins. Stir in crab and warm through, then season to taste.

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente, 2-4 mins. Drain well, reserving 60ml pasta water, then add busiate to crab sauce with extra parsley and toss gently to combine, adding a little pasta water if needed to coat well. Serve scattered with pangrattato.w