Recipe: Crab and Tenderstem tagliatelle with lemon and basil

This is a lovely recipe to serve as a starter when entertaining your best friends. It tastes quite stunning, so your guests will think you’ve been slaving away for hours. It is also fantastic as a midweek meal because it actually takes no time at all to put together – everyone’s a winner.

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a starter
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
200-300g tagliatelle
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
200g pack Tenderstem broccoli
2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, quartered, de-seeded and diced
100g white crab meat, fresh or frozen
Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 small bunch of basil leaves, finely sliced

Method:
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the tagliatelle until al dente. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Cut the Tenderstem into small pieces, about 1-2cm long. Add to the pan, along with the garlic, and fry until the Tenderstem is becoming tender, and colouring slightly on the tips. Increase the heat and add the diced tomatoes to the pan. Fry for just a minute or so before adding the crab meat, lemon zest and lemon juice. Toss gently until the crab is heated through. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper before mixing into the tagliatelle, basil and the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Serve straight away.
 

Photo: www.tenderstem.co.uk