Lobster Spaghetti

Recipe Overview

This Lobster Spaghetti transforms a classic seafood pasta into a grand plate worthy of a holiday menu, tasting menu, or refined restaurant special. The lobster is gently poached first, then the shells are roasted and reduced into a concentrated stock that gives the sauce extraordinary depth. The tomato remains bright and elegant, allowing the sweetness of the lobster and the fragrance of parsley to stay in balance.

Ingredients

• 680 g fresh pasta dough for spaghetti chitarra
• 1350 g live lobsters total
• 450 g ripe Roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 30 g fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 15 g tomato paste
• 180 ml brandy
• 2 bay leaves
• 24 g garlic
• 180 ml dry white wine
• 2850 ml water
• 100 g carrot, roughly chopped
• 150 g onion, roughly chopped
• 200 g celery stalks, roughly chopped
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Prepare the fresh pasta dough and cut it into spaghetti chitarra. Dust lightly with semolina and refrigerate on trays until ready to cook.
2. In a large pot, combine the water, carrot, onion, celery, bay leaves, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer. Add the live lobsters and cook for about 7 minutes, then transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Remove the meat from the tails and claws, reserving the shells and bodies for the stock.
3. Preheat the oven to medium-high. Roast the reserved lobster shells on a tray until lightly browned and aromatic. In a large pot, sauté some chopped vegetables and part of the garlic in olive oil, add the roasted shells, and stir in the tomato paste. Deglaze with brandy and carefully flambé, then add the white wine. Pour in the lobster cooking water and simmer until reduced by about half. Strain to obtain a rich shellfish reduction.
4. In a wide skillet, gently sauté the remaining garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add the chopped Roma tomatoes with a pinch of salt and cook until they soften and begin to break down. Add the lobster meat or large lobster pieces and moisten with some of the shellfish reduction. Simmer briefly so the flavors combine without overcooking the lobster.
5. Cook the spaghetti chitarra in salted boiling water until al dente. Transfer the pasta to the skillet and toss with the lobster-tomato sauce, adding more shellfish reduction as needed to create a glossy, silky finish.
6. Finish with chopped parsley, freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Plate the pasta, arrange the lobster meat and decorative shell pieces on top, and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving, estimate)

Calories	640 kcal
Protein	38 g
Carbohydrates	55 g
Fat	28 g
Fiber	3 g
Cholesterol	115 mg