Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound orecchiette
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 ribs celery from the heart with leafy tops, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes
• Pepper
• 1 cup green peas
• 10 to 12 ounces lump crabmeat, picked through for shell pieces
• A few dashes hot sauce
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup seafood stock, clam juice or chicken stock
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup cream, eyeball it
• A handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 3 to 4 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves chopped
• Grated Pecorino Romano, optional

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil and salt it liberally, drop in pasta and cook to al dente.
2. While pasta cooks, heat olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, shallots and garlic, cook 4 to 5 minutes then add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, raise heat to medium-high and cook tomatoes until they burst, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in peas and crab, heat through 2 minutes then add hot sauce and wine, reduce wine a minute then stir in stock, heat 1 minute more then add cream - a turn of the pan, parsley, tarragon. Adjust seasonings. Drain pasta and toss with sauce, sprinkle with cheese to taste, optional.