We’ve collected a plethora of wonderful recipes from chefs over the past 8.5 years and we want to share what we have. Check back here twice a week for new content from your favorite Philly and out of town chefs to add some spice to your home cooking repertoire.

If you have a moment, please head to the following websites to see how you can donate or take action to help support our beloved Philadelphia dining scene. We look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Save Local Restaurants  /  Save Philly Eats

Crab gravy – South Philly’s other gravy – is a seasonal specialty. Think of it as red sauce going down the shore. If this is unfamiliar to you and you’re on the fence, trust us, you will NOT be disappointed. Like its meat sauce counterpart, crab gravy recipes vary from (shore) house to (shore) house. Lucky for you, we have a tried and true version from Dominic Piperno, chef-owner of Collingswood BYOB Hearthside. Dominic’s preparation luckily doesn’t call for a lengthy list of ingredients, but the most important one is time. Plan ahead, as this recipe requires over two hours of simmering. Enjoy, it’s a shore thing!

Crab Gravy Pasta

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch basil, roughly chopped
1 tsp dried red chili flakes
2 large cans (28 oz each) San Marzano tomatoes
6 whole crabs
1 can jumbo lumb crab
1 cup white wine
4 tsp salt
pasta of your choice, but traditional is good old fashioned spaghetti

First add the onion, garlic, chili, basil and olive oil to a large pan and cook on medium heat until onion is translucent and tender. Increase flame to high heat and add the whole crabs. Cook 10-15 minutes. Crabs will start turning a bright orange color and begin to caramelize. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and cook until the smell of alcohol is gone, roughly 3 minutes. Next add your cans of tomatoes and salt.  Lower heat to slow simmer and continue to cook for 2 hours. 

When ready to serve, cook your pasta until al dente.

Add the can of crab meat to the sauce and cook until just warmed through. Drain your pasta and either add the pasta to your sauce or ladle sauce over the pasta.

And for those days when you simply don’t feel like cooking, The Philadelphia Inquirer has a comprehensive list of area restaurants who are offering takeout and delivery!