Lobster Pasta

Hello dinner!

I have officially been banned from cooking live lobster or crab in the house. Lucky for me, Buzza is usually busying himself in another part of the house, while I play in the kitchen. (*@*)

This 2lb lobster ($8.99/lb @Ranch 99) definitely could've served 3 - 4 normal servings, but normalcy is overrated.

Ingredients

2lb live lobster

2 bay leaves

1 box of fresh fettucini

1lb of small heirloom tomatoes, quartered or halved (I used a mix of small green zebra and red)

1/4 cup of white wine

10 basil leaves, chiffoned

1 large shallot, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil water in a large pot, big enough to hold the lobster. Add bay leaves and salt to the water, as if you were making pasta.
2. Put the lobster, head first into the water. If you want to be more humane, you can insert a knife into the lobster's head, which will instantly kill it. Boil for 20 minutes.
3. Reserve 1/2 cup of lobster water, drain and let cool. NOTE: Instead of draining, you can save the whole pot of water to make stock later from the shells, just add onions, carrots, celery and peppercorn to enhance the stock.
4. In a large sauce pan, sautee the olive oil, shallots and garlic until soft.
5. Add the white wine and cook until only about 1 tablespoon of liquid is left.
6. Add the tomatoes, lobster stock, salt and pepper and let simmer. About 30 minutes
7. Declaw the lobster by twisting off both claws and legs.
8. Twist the head away from the body. (Save the head and legs, if making stock)
9. Take the tail and cut the shell down the middle. The underside is probably easier to cut through. Remove the meat and dice.
10. Add all the juice to the tomato sauce.
11. Put the claws in two plastic bags. Use a hammer to break them. The plastic bag will keep your kitchen from getting messy.
12. Dice up the claw meat as well.
13. Add meat and basil to the sauce, continue to simmer.
14. Cook pasta according to instructions, but shy for one minute. So, if you should cook it for 3 minutes, cook it for two instead.
15. Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the simmering sauce. Continue to cook for another minute in the pan. This is the most important step in making good pasta. It will marry your pasta will the sauce and make it taste like you really took the time to bring all the ingredients together.

Please, please, please do not put parmesan or any other type of cheese on here. It's seafood for godness sakes!

Close up!