Creamy Crab Pasta

Scott and I stayed home for the Super bowl but invited Kat over to watch the game with us. Kat brought over some appetizers and I made dinner: Creamy Crab Pasta. I hope you enjoy the dish as much as we did, it fed us for a couple days!

• 1 1/2 lb shelled crab meat
• Pasta - your choice. Use just under one pound. I used that and I made too much for the amount of sauce this yields.
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• A couple pinches of hot chile flakes (depends on your heat level)
• 1 Tomato - diced
• Sea alt to taste
• 2 T brown sugar
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 3/4 cup fresh sweet peas
• 2 cups plus a pinch freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Bring water for the pasta to a boil. Add salt. Cook the according to package directions for al dente. Drain. In a pan, heat the unsalted butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile flakes and saute until it becomes golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sea salt, brown sugar, and freshly ground pepper to the pan. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to create a nice, light sauce. Add in the half-and-half and bring to a boil. The moment it starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the sweet peas, Parmesan and a big handful of minced parsley. Stir and let it thicken for about 8 minutes. Mix in the crabmeat and heat through, about 2 minutes.

Using tongs, mix the cooked fettuccine and the sauce. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and minced parsley.