Lobster Holidays
Vacation festivities are muted and gatherings lowered this 12 months, inspiring emotions that toggle between a craving for glitter and a longing for consolation. Find out how to have a good time and what to eat try for a stability between these combined needs. In my thoughts, the next recipe achieves simply that. It’s easy but elegant, particular however not pretentious, and depends on a brief checklist of trustworthy components that drive splendidly contemporary taste.
I grew up in New England, the place lobster is ubiquitous. It’s the quintessential summer season meals, related to the seashore and naked toes, picnic tables and messy consuming, accessorized by dribbling butter, nutcrackers, and paper bibs. Now, a few years and strikes later, I hardly ever eat lobster. After I do, it’s normally on particular events. The as soon as commonplace summer season fare has morphed right into a celebratory splurge, and there’s no time higher for such an indulgence than the vacations, when shellfish and crustaceans go ever so nicely with a glass of bubbly.
This can be a recipe for this time. It’s understated and comforting, but carries the swag of contemporary cooked lobster meat. The strategy is easy, permitting the lobster to shine with out bogging it down with heavy or treasured components; it humbly but elegantly provides the lobster (and its essential splurge) the respect and appreciation it deserves.
For those who choose to not use lobster meat, shrimp are a wonderful and extra economical various, and they’re going to bump this recipe onto your roster of straightforward weeknight meals. When utilizing shrimp, merely sauté them in olive oil with a pinch of salt earlier than including them to the dish.
Spaghetti with Lobster
Serves 4
Lively Time: half-hour
Whole Time: half-hour
1 pound spaghetti or bucatini
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound grape tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon crushed purple pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly floor black pepper, plus extra for garnish
1 pound cooked lobster meat, as chunky as doable
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves, torn, plus additional for garnish
Lemon wedges
1. Convey a big pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook dinner 1 minute lower than al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water.
2. Whereas the pasta is cooking, warmth the oil in a big, deep skillet over medium warmth. Add the tomatoes and cook dinner till they start to interrupt down and their juices launch, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring incessantly. Stir within the garlic and purple pepper flakes and proceed to cook dinner till aromatic and the tomatoes soften additional, 2 to three minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and style to regulate.
3. Add the lobster meat to the skillet and stir to coat. Add the drained pasta and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid. Proceed to stir over medium warmth till the dish is nicely mixed, including 1/4 cup extra liquid at a time to your required consistency. The sauce needs to be shiny and evenly coat the spaghetti with out being stodgy. Stir within the basil.
4. Divide the pasta between serving plates and garnish with further basil, freshly floor black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.