Crab, courgette and basil linguine: An impressive pasta dish in 20 minutes

Chef Conor Halpenny: Irish crabmeat is a local ingredient we don’t use enough

Conor Halpenny's crab linguine

Conor Halpenny

Mon Nov 13 2023 - 08:00

Whether I am cooking at home or in the restaurant the ethos I try to follow is working with simple flavours and letting the produce shine. This easy and impressive pasta dish ticks those boxes and it can be made from start to finish in 20 minutes or so. It’s a real dinner in a dash.

Irish crabmeat is a local ingredient we don’t use enough. You can find it in your local fishmongers, but also in packets in the supermarkets. It’s a great ingredient to have on hand for a quick dinner fix.

Conor Halpenny is head chef at the Square, Dundalk

I use local Dunany crab from the waters of Dundalk bay. If you get your crab from the fishmonger it might need another check for shells. To do this, lay the meat on a metal tray and using your fingers push the crabmeat down to check for any shells. I prefer fresh linguine for this dish, when I have it, but dried pasta also works well.

Recipe: Conor Halpenny’s crab, courgette and basil linguine