Lobster Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce

Inspired by an Allrecipes iPad app recipe

Printable Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
8oz/250g pasta (I used elicoidali lunghi, but penne or whatever your favorite)
Sauce
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 can (14oz/398ml) diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 – 1 ½ cups baby beet greens, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh Italian/flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 lb/450g cooked lobster meat, in chunks
½ - ¾ cup cream (I used 18% - be as decadent or not as you like)
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
¼ - ½ tsp red chili pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente.

2. In the meantime, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter in olive oil (to avoid burning the butter). Sauté the shallots and garlic until soft and fragrant (3 minutes or so). Don’t allow the garlic to burn. Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, chili pepper flakes and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add the beet greens and parsley and toss about for 1 minute. The greens should begin to wilt. Add the lobster meat, cream and fresh basil. Toss and just cook for 2 minutes or until the lobster is heated through.

4. Once the pasta is al dente, drain and add to the lobster sauce. Toss, taste for seasoning and serve.

Steamed Nova Scotia Lobster

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 lobsters ( 1½ lb/680g each)
16oz/ ½ liter sea water (if you’re lucky enough to get some from your lobsterman)
OR…
That much water plus 1 tbsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Allow the salted water to come to a boil in a very large pot . I use my big stock pot for this.

2. Remove rubber bands on claws and place head first in the water. Quickly cover and allow to steam for about 20 minutes.

Tip from Anita Stewart's Canada is to plunge the cooked lobster in a sink of ice water for 30 seconds to to prevent the meat from sticking to the shell.

3. To get to the meat, Nova Scotia lobstermen style..
A)Hold the lobster with one hand on the hard front (includes the claws)shell and the other on the articulated back (includes the tail) and twist apart.
B) Lay tail portion on the cutting surface - hard shell side up - and press down firmly until you hear a crack. Turn over and twist the very tip of the tail off.
C)Pull the meat out or.. if that's too hard, cut the softer under belly shell and pull the tail meat out that way.
D) Remove the claws from the front shell and using a hammer or cleaver crack across the large claw shell - try not to cut through the meat. separate the shell halves and genly pull out the meat.
E) Back to the hard front shell... remove and discard the part behind the eyes. I personally love chomping on the skinny legs, but some people just eat the claws and tail portions.

And now for the extra treat... save the shells in a large zip lock baggie and freeze them to make the most delicious stock ever - great for lobster risotto and lobster bisque.

Back to eating your freshly steamed lobster... All you need is squirt of lemon juice or, if you’re really in a decadent mood… some melted garlic butter for dipping.