Julia Restoin Roitfeld's Lobster Spaghetti With Fresh Tomatoes
Julia Restoin Roitfeld's Lobster Spaghetti With Fresh Tomatoes
By Renee Hernandez
Food and style have always gone together so lure some luxury into your kitchen with Julia Restoin Roitfeld’s lobster spaghetti recipe. I love how Julia brings a little health consciousness to every recipe she develops. In this recipe she uses fresh and naturally nutrient-rich ingredients like ripe tomatoes, basil, and garlic — calling for just enough olive oil to deliver fantastic flavor and richness without overdoing the calories. I was slightly intimidated about selecting and cooking lobster so I opted for frozen lobster meat. It is super easy to cook and still has great flavor.
LOBSTER SPAGHETTI WITH FRESH TOMATOES
Ingredients
- ½ cup fruity extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 2 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled and very finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 one-pound lobsters, cooked and shelled, or ¾ pound cooked lobster meat
- 3 tablespoons finely slivered fresh basil, plus sprigs for garnish
- 1 pound spaghetti alla chitarra or spaghettini
- Red chili flakes
Directions
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 5 quart sauté pan or a wide saucepan. Add garlic, cook over low heat until it softens, then add tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes over medium heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for spaghetti.
- Dice lobster meat. Place 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add lobster and cook until just warmed through. Fold in half of the basil. Cover and set aside.
- When water boils, add pasta and cook until barely al dente. Drain and place in pan with tomatoes. Stir in remaining oil. Cook, stirring gently over low heat, about 5 minutes, until pasta and tomatoes are warmed and well incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper; fold in remaining basil.
- Transfer to 6 shallow soup plates. Top each portion with lobster, garnish with basil sprigs and serve, with red chili flakes on the side.
In this video I demonstrate the simplicity of Julia’s recipe which is perfect for a romantic dinner. Overall time for preparation and cooking is about 45 minutes and feeds six. So go ahead and cook like a Roitfeld... Bon appétit!
