Feeling a little krabby these days?

I recently made one of my signature dishes for dinner: krab linguine with peppers and mushrooms in a lemon-butter sauce. YUM! It's one of my very favorite meals, but I don't make it very often, and I always have to eat it alone, as my roommate Cyd hates it. Oh well...it makes great leftovers to take to work for lunch.

I can't imagine how anyone could dislike this dish, but if the krab offends you, you could easily swap out shrimp or scallops or, if you can afford it, real crab. Still, I love the sweetness and tenderness of the white fish in this saute along with the spicy peppers, savory onions and garlic, and tangy lemon finish. And the best part is, it's done in less than a half hour--definitely a weeknight go-to meal!

Krab Linguine with Peppers and Mushrooms in Lemon-Butter Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
2 long hot peppers, seeded and chopped
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
one tablespoon Italian seasoning (or one teaspoon each dried parsley, basil, and oregano)
1 lb. surimi (imitation crab)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
juice of one large lemon (or white wine)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan, divided

1 lb. linguine, prepared according to package instructions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onion and peppers. Cook for a few minutes until the onion starts to turn translucent, then add the sliced mushrooms, garlic, and dried herbs, and cook until the mushrooms are tender. Add the krab to the pan and break up the pieces a bit with your spoon as you mix everything together. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and cook until the fish is heated through. Melt the butter in the center of the pan, squeeze in the lemon juice and toss in a couple of tablespoons of parmesan. Stir everything together, adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup pasta water to make it saucier, then serve over prepared linguine garnished with more shredded parmesan.