Summer is here and that calls for seafood pasta paired with a sparkling rosé.
It’s no secret, I love quick and easy Mediterranean-style cuisine that demands only a minimum time spend in the kitchen, yet great pleasure at the table.
With a mussel’s allergy meaning some of the most classic seafood pasta combinations are out of the question, and tagliatelle with scampi devoured so many times it was time to look beyond, I’ve recently taken to crab meat.
Soft, delicate, and slightly sweet crab meat works in a large variety of different recipes and pasta with crab meat, chili and lemon is one of the classic dishes of the Italian cuisine, full of flavour and texture.
Crab tagliatelle are indeed a little twist on the classic crab linguini originating from Venice since it asks for tagliatelle, though you can easily make it changing back to linguini if you prefer.
Like most Italian pasta dishes, this recipe requires only few quality ingredients and is on the table in less than 30 minutes.
As for the best wine pairing, a crisp white or rosé would work well of course but if like me you love to give your bubbles a broader exposure than aperitive, you will appreciate pairing the crab tagliatelle with a Crémant de Loire.
About Crémant de Loire
Champagne might be France’s most famous sparkling wine, yet excellent bubbles are produced outside the Champagne region as well.
Since only sparkling wines made in Champagne are allowed be called Champagne, however, those made elsewhere in France are labelled as Crémant. They go through the same production process as Champagne, which means the ‘methode traditionelle’ with second fermentation taking place in the bottle.
Crémant are made in several French regions, including Burgundy (Bourgogne), Bordeaux, Alsace and the most prominent for this type of sparkling wine, the Loire Valley.
Classified as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, the Loire Valley is the third largest wine producing AOC area in France and the largest for sparkling wine production with most Crémant de Loire coming from the area around Touraine, Saumur and Anjou.
Crémant de Loire is made from Chenin Blanc as the dominant variety, and typically blended with Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and a couple of other native grape varieties.
Typically, Crémant de Loire are distinguished by a subtle nose and pleasant freshness. Whites will display a crystal robe with grey and straw yellow or golden reflections and aromas of white fruit, lemon, white flowers, nuts, almond and sometimes a hint of vanilla and liquorice.
Meanwhile, rosés are typically a salmon-cherry with scents of red-fruit.
Crémant de Loire and food pairing
Cremant de Loire easily rivals a Champagne and will always be an excellent choice for any special occasion.
Still, they also pair well to a versatile range of food such as fish and seafood, white meats, Asian food, and desserts.
Crémant De Jessy Rosé brut
If you are looking for a nice Crémant de Loire, you can’t go wrong looking at the most renowned Crémant producer in France, Bouvet Ladubay.
Founded in 1851 close to Saumur by the Monmousseau family, the winery has changed hands a couple of time since 1974, when the founding family was forced to sell the property. First belonging to the famous Taittinger group, then briefly owned by an Indian brewery company, the founding family, which had never completely left the sparkling wine house, finally bought back Bouvet Ladubay in 2014.
The award-winning Crémant de Jessy Rosé brut made from Cabernet Franc in the glass is an intense salmon. On the nose, aromas of strawberries and raspberries followed by notes of green pepper. On the palate, a tart grapefruit
Recipe: Crab Tagliatelle
Serves 4
300 g Tagliatelle
1 red chili, finely chopped
2 cloves
400 g white crab meat, boiled and chopped
200 g butter
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
basil leaves
Method
Bring a large pan of salted water to boil. Cook the tagliatelle according to the instructions.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet until it starts to sizzle. Reduce heat, add chili, cloves, lemon zest and crab meat. Stir and let simmer over medium heat for about one minute.
Add the pasta and toss. Season with salt, pepper and one tablespoon lemon juice.
Divide between four plates, season with pepper and top up with some basil leaves.
Carrots and Tigers 