Ingredients
4 tbsp. butter
About 1/3 cup broken spaghetti (1-inch pieces)
1 cup white long-grain rice
Salt and pepper
1 ¾ cups chicken stock
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ bunch thin asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
1 large leek, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 red finger chile—halved, seeded, and thinly sliced
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. shelled crab from king crab legs or lump crabmeat (picked through for pieces of shell)
2 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
About 1 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
About 1/4 cup dry sherry or 1/2 cup white wine
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
½ cup chopped mixed fresh tarragon and flat-leaf parsley
Preparation
Step 1
In a large saucepan with a lid, melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the pasta. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the rice. Cook, stirring often, until toasted, about a minute; season with salt and pepper. Add the stock. Raise heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 2
In a large skillet, heat the oil, two turns of the pan, over medium-high. Add the asparagus, leek, peas, chile, and garlic. Cook, tossing often, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Push the vegetables to the sides of pan. Melt the remaining 2 tbsp. butter in the center of the pan. Add the crab; season with the thyme and Old Bay. Stir in the sherry. Cook, tossing often, until the crab is heated through, about 1 minute. Toss in the rice and pasta. Mix in the lemon juice and herbs. Serve in shallow bowls.
