This pasta dish is an excellent way of making a little (and expensive) lobster go a long way.
Ingredients
- 500g really red, vine-ripened tomatoes
- 1 cooked lobster (about 750g)
- 350g dried spaghetti
- 100ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 50g finely grated fresh ginger
- 50ml dry white wine
- 4 spring onions, trimmed and
- finely chopped
- Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
- and 1 tbsp juice
- Large handful of fresh basil leaves
Method
- 1. Remove the skins from the tomatoes: lightly score a cross on the bottom of each tomato, place in a large bowl and pour over freshly boiled water from a kettle. Leave for 30 seconds, then quickly drain and refresh under cold water. Peel and discard the skins, then roughly chop the tomatoes and put into a bowl. Add ½ tsp salt, toss, then set aside.
- 2. Bring a large pan of well salted water (1 tsp per 600ml) to the boil. Meanwhile, remove the meat from the cooked lobster and cut it into small, bite-size pieces. Keep the tomalley (the grey-green liver) and any roe separate.
- 3. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook for 11-12 minutes or until just tender but still al dente.
- 4. Meanwhile, put the olive oil and garlic in another large pan. Place over a medium heat and, as soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the ginger and cook gently for 1 minute without letting anything colour.
- 5. Add the white wine, chopped and salted tomatoes, the tomalley and any roe, and increase the heat to high. Leave to bubble down for
- 5-6 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce has reduced and slightly thickened. You want it to be moist but not too liquid.
- 6. Reduce the heat slightly, add the spring onions, lemon zest and lemon juice, then cook for 1 minute. Stir in the lobster meat and simmer gently for 1 minute longer to briefly warm through – don’t let it cook for any longer or it will become tough. Remove the sauce from the heat and season to taste with a little more salt and some ground black pepper.
- 7. Chop the basil leaves into strips. Drain the pasta well, add it to the sauce along with most of the basil. Toss well, then serve straightaway, topped with the remaining basil.
Nutritional info
PER SERVING 576kcals, 21.5g fat (3.1g saturated), 27.2g protein, 71g carbs, 7.2g sugar, 0.6g salt, 5.4g fibre
Chef's tip
For a slightly spicier alternative, leave out the lemon zest and add half a deseeded and chopped red chilli or ¼ tsp chilli flakes when softening the garlic and ginger.
Wine Recommendation
This is terrific served with a cool glass of zesty, scented New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.