Linguine with swimmer crab, tomato & garum sauce

(Linguine con granchio al garum)

Serves 6

100 ml (3½ fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

1 small leek, diced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped, plus extra ½ clove, finely chopped, if desired

100 ml (3½ fl oz/¹/₃ cup) dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Vermentino

200 ml (7 fl oz) crustacean broth, reduced to 100 ml (3½ fl oz)

500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) good-quality tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)

garum (fermented fish sauce), to taste (see Note)

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) fresh egg pasta dough, cut into linguine

400 g (14 oz) cooked and picked blue swimmer crab meat

1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Heat half the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the leek and garlic. Sauté until they become translucent. Raise the heat to high, pour in the white wine and cook until the wine has evaporated. Add the reduced crustacean broth and tomato passata and season to taste with the garum and black pepper. Do not use any salt in this recipe. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Set aside.

For the pasta, simply bring abundant salted water to the boil then add the pasta. At the same time, reheat the sauce adding the cooked crab meat 1 minute before serving. Strain the pasta and combine with the sauce. Add the chopped parsley, remaining extra virgin olive oil and extra garlic, if desired, to the pasta, and combine well. Check for seasoning and add more garum if required. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Garum (fermented fish sauce) can be substituted with Asian fish sauce.