Crab Alfredo

Ingredients:


4 tablespoons Butter or margarine
4 tablespoons Flour
2 cups Half-and-half (heavy cream If you REALLY feel wicked)
1/2 cup (or more to Taste) grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and white pepper to Taste
Few grains cayenne pepper (optional)
6 (8 oz.) cooked snow crab meat, Cut into chunks

Directions:

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour, and cook briefly until the mixture looks sandy. Do NOT let it color. Wisk in the half-and-half, and stir until the mixture forms a thick sauce. Stir in the cheese, and season to taste. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors, and stir in the crab meat. Cook JUST until the crab is heated through. Serve over cooked linguini, with additional Parmesan cheese and hot red pepper flakes on the side.

Before some purist jumps me, I KNOW this isn't a classic Alfredo, but it is a very good dish, and remarkably easy to make.

This may be varied by substituting cooked lobster meat for the crab, or by adding 36 cooked, peeled and deveined medium shrimp, and about a quarter of a cup of chopped cooked broccoli instead of the crab meat.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Red Lobster Crab Alfredo serves/makes 6

ALTERNATIVE from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients


8 ounces dried fettucine
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups half-and-half
1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces crabmeat, flaked

Directions

1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Keep warm and covered.

2.Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until garlic releases its aroma, about 2 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic brown. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Reduce heat, and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

3.Add the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese to the sauce and stir until cheeses melt and mixture is smooth. Mix in the crabmeat and continue cooking until crabmeat is heated through, about 3 minutes.

4.Divide the fettucine between 2 plates or bowls and top with the crab sauce.

OR here is Classic Alfredo to add crab to:

2 cups whipping cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 In 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, heat cream to boiling (ensuring not to burn).
2 Reduce heat to medium; gradually stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
3 Add butter, 1 tbsp at a time, stirring.
4 Add salt and pepper.
5 Makes 2 1/2 cups sauce or enough to serve over 1 1b cooked pasta.
6 To serve, sprinkle with some grated parmesan cheese.