I’m usually a purist when it comes to pasta. I’ll put veggies in, and sometimes I’ll do a meat sauce, but I hardly ever go the seafood route.

However, pasta is actually the perfect vehicle for any and all seafood. It’s a neutral backdrop so you can play around with toppings. For this spaghetti, I decided to combine crab with tomatoes from the farmers’ market, a bunch of fresh herbs, and frozen peas (that I obviously cooked).

A word about fresh herbs: If you’ve ever read Samin Nosrat‘s “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat,” or heard her talk about cooking, she always emphasizes the value of fresh herbs. I’d tend to agree. They don’t cost that much, and they add way more flavor than dried herbs. They also take the dish’s sophistication up a notch. I know we’re not all shooting for restaurant quality at home, but if that’s your goal, you might want to invest in some fresh herbs.

This dish comes together quickly even though it sounds fancy, making it the perfect dish to serve for a dinner party, or even just yourself if you want to treat yourself to something delicious.

My two favorite parts of the recipe are cooking the peas and pasta in the same pot (hello, fewer dishes), and letting the roasted tomatoes sit in the oven once they’re done cooking. You might be like, what? Won’t they burn? The simple answer is, no. You roast the tomatoes at 350 degrees F, a relatively low temp, and they will cool along with the oven after you turn it off. Also, it saves counter space and time as you don’t have to remove the pan from the oven in the middle of assembling the rest of the dish.

Here’s a song to get you started on your spaghetti journey. I heard it in my friend Julicia’s Instagram story the other day and now I’m hooked.

Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes, Peas, and Crab

Ingredients

for the tomatoes:
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chopped marjoram
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

for the pasta:
1 cup frozen peas
16 oz spaghetti
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp chopped marjoram
1 lb cooked crab meat (from one large can)
3/4 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley, plus more for garnish

Directions

First, roast the tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the tomatoes in a bowl with garlic, sugar, chopped marjoram, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread into a baking dish and roast for about 25 minutes. When they’re done, turn off the oven and leave the tomatoes in there to stay warm.

To make the pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the peas and cook for a couple minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water and place in a small bowl. Cook the spaghetti in the same pot according to package directions. Drain, reserving about 1/2 a cup of pasta water. Return the spaghetti to the pot and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil. Put the lid of the pot halfway on to keep the pasta warm.

Heat another tablespoon of oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes without browning them, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine and bring the mixture to a simmer. Increase the heat slightly and let the wine reduce for a couple minutes. Add the marjoram, crab, and chicken broth, season with salt and pepper, and let the mixture simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and reserved peas and simmer for a few more minutes. Stir in the parsley, then add in the spaghetti and toss to coat the noodles in toss. Add the roasted tomatoes and toss the whole mixture together. Serve with more parsley. Enjoy!