CORNISH CRAB LINGUINE WITH CHILLI, LEMON AND PARSLEY

Cornish crab – from crab cakes to crab sandwiches, nothings says Cornwall more to me. This recipe would perhaps be a lastmeal request for me – it contains all the ingredients that I simply love. Crab, pasta, lemon, parsley, chilli, Parmesan and olive oil… the textures and flavours of pure happiness. Crab is available in most good supermarkets or, even better, head to your local fishmonger. If on holiday in Cornwall, find a local fisherman to point you in the right direction.

SERVES 4

● 300g dried linguine pasta

● 250g fresh white Cornish crab meat, picked over for pieces of shell

● 2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

● 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

● Zest and juice of 1 lemon (zest is optional)

● 100g Parmesan, grated

● 150ml olive oil, for drizzling

● Cornish sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions.

2. Meanwhile, combine the crab meat in a large bowl with the chilli, parsley, lemon juice and zest, if using. Stir together.

3. Drain the pasta (reserve some of the cooking water) and add to the crab sauce along with a couple of tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. Use tongs to thoroughly mix the pasta with the crab so that all the pasta gets a good coating of sauce. 4. Serve in warmed bowls and sprinkle over a generous amount of Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and a grinding of black pepper. It goes deliciously with a cold glass of Sauvignon blanc.