| Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 60 mins | Difficulty: Medium | Serves: 6 |
| kcal | fat | saturates | carbs |
| 415 | 10g | 1g | 45g |
| sugars | fibre | protein | salt |
| 4g | 3g | 25g | 2g |
Why I Love Italian Spicy Lobster
Allow me to introduce one of my all-time favorites: the Spicy Lobster. This classic Italian dish embraces the rich, luxurious flavors of the sea and amplifies them with a peppery punch. As someone born and bred in NYC, which is often termed as a culinary melting pot, making this dish feels like a tribute to my city’s multicultural fabric. Diverse flavors and global influences from all corners of the world strike a chord in the hearts of New Yorkers, just like this recipe does for me.
Inspiration Behind the Dish
My love for this Spicy Lobster recipe was ignited by my admiration for the renowned Italian-American celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis. Her approach to food, which revolves around simplicity and the true taste of ingredients, inspired me to craft this recipe. As there isn’t always a muse behind every dish I create, this one is indeed special.
An Ode to Italian Flavors
Drenched in the goodness of olive oil and with the heat of chili flakes punctuating the succulent lobster meat, this dish is an ode to classic Italian cooking. When you pair it with a glass of smooth white wine and a side of crusty garlic bread, you’re treated to an elevated dining experience right at your home. And when it comes to cheese, feel free to grate on some savory Parmesan, adding a beautiful finishing touch to this mouthwatering dish.
This Spicy Lobster recipe bears a beautiful similarity to linguine ai frutti di mare, another renowned Italian seafood pasta dish brimming with a variety of seafood and served with a tangy tomato sauce. Hints of garlic and red pepper flakes make it even more delicious. And, speaking of good companion dishes, this lobster would pair delightfully with a simple green salad, or perhaps a roasted vegetable medley.
So here’s to this Spicy Lobster – here’s to the passion of Italian cooking, the influences from my home city, and the celebration of fresh, straightforward flavors.
What You’ll Need
- 3 medium-sized live lobsters, about 1.5-2 pounds each
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 cup of white wine
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons of dried red pepper flakes
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz each
- 1 cup of lobster stock or clam juice
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley
- 1 pound of linguine
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Method
Step One
Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the live lobsters and cook for about 10-12 minutes until they turn bright red. Afterward, remove from the pot and let them cool. Once they’re cool enough to handle, extract the meat from the claws and tails but save the shells.
Step Two
In a large saucepan, add the olive oil, minced garlic, and dried red pepper flakes. Sauté the ingredients over medium heat until the garlic becomes fragrant. Be cautious not to burn the garlic.
Step Three
Add the white wine, diced tomatoes, lobster stock or clam juice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the saucepan. Stir continuously to mix all the ingredients and let it come to a simmer.
Step Four
Add the lobster shells to the saucepan. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. After this, strain the sauce, discarding the shells but preserving the liquid. Return the strained sauce back to the saucepan.
Step Five
Add the cooked lobster meat and chopped parsley to the saucepan. Stir to combine and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Step Six
While the sauce is simmering, cook the linguine per the instructions on the package in a large pot of boiling salted water. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it but save one cup of the pasta water.
Step Seven
Add the cooked pasta directly to the saucepan with the lobster sauce. Toss the pasta to coat in the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, gradually add some of the saved pasta water to loosen it.
Step Eight
Serve the pasta with a generous topping of grated Parmesan cheese.
