Spicy Lobster Spaghetti is inspired by Esca’s Dave Pasternack. Don’t worry about the mess you make when you eat this pasta dish. Nobody will care.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
- kosher salt (as needed)
- 4 whole, raw lobster tails
- 3 tablespoon canola oil (or other high smoke point oil)
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 clove garlic (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 1 habanero chile (seeded and minced, or to taste)
- 2 cup tomato sauce
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
- freshly cracked black pepper (as needed)
Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add spaghetti, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain but do not rinse, reserving ½ cup cooking water.
Meanwhile, use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to carefully cut top side of lobster shells lengthwise all the way to, but not through, the tail.
Heat 3 tbsp oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add tails shell side down. Wrap your hand in a towel and use tongs to hold the lobster in contact with the pan and to move the tails around with different areas in contact with the pan until the shells begin to turn red, about 4 minutes.
Add wine to the pan, cover with lid, and lower the heat to medium-low; cook about 2 minutes more, or until the meat begins to look opaque. Remove lid, add garlic and chiles and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add reserved pasta water and tomato sauce. Cook until slightly thickened.
Add pasta to sauce with tails, tossing to coat then transfer to a large serving plate. Garnish with mint, season with salt and pepper; serve immediately.
