Bucatini con L'Aragosta

I decided to make a special dinner for my Angel, Clare.  The dish is a favorite of ours and, coincidentally, Lidia Bastianich.  Back in June, we had dinner at Del Posto in New York City.  Del Posto is a new restaurant opened by Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich.  Clare and I ordered the Chef's tasting menu, which included a spaghetti dish with lobster and jalapeno slices.  While we were eating the dish, which was incredible, Lidia herself walked by our table.  As Clare and I looked at Lidia, with both of our mouths agape at the sight of such a culinary celebrity, Lidia pointed to the dish and said, "that's my favorite."

So, I decided to create my own version of that favorite.  I have my own rule ... I don't buy spaghetti that I can make, so that ruled out linguine, fettuccine and most noodles for that matter.  However, I was short on time and could not make my own handmade pasta.  At the store, I came across bucatini, a pasta that is well known in Latium and Abruzzo.  Bucatini is a round noodle that is hollow in the middle, which provides a perfect opening for the sauce to penetrate throughout the noodle.  It is a pasta that, as of this moment, I cannot make by hand.

Turning to the recipe, I used lobster tails, which are easy to prep.  Take a pair of kitchen scissors (scissors that you use to cut food, like chicken or seafood) and cut down the back of the tail.  Cut down the middle and then open the tail.  Work your fingers in between the meat and the shell to separate them.  Pull the lobster meat out gently.  And you are ready to make the recipe.

BUCATINI CON L'ARAGOSTA
A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2-3

 Ingredients:
3 to 4 lobster tails, separated from the shell and cut into even sized pieces
1/2 package of bucatini
1 good size shallot, diced
1 clove of garlic, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced.
1 can of whole tomatoes
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (2 peppers if you like it hot)
Lots of fresh basil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.  After removing the lobster meat from the shell, cut the meat into even sized pieces. Salt and pepper the pieces generously, set aside in the refrigerator.

2.  Melt the butter in a pan on medium high heat.  Add the onions and saute until translucent.  Chiffonade three large leaves of basil.  Add the basil, shallot and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.

3.  Add the tomatoes to the pan with the sauce from the can.  With a potato masher, mash the tomatoes and mix into the sauce.  Don't let the tomato sauce cook for more than thirty minutes.  If you don't have the pasta water boiling in time, just turn down the sauce and heat it up when you are ready to complete the dish.

4.  Heat a pot of water on high heat until it boils.  Add the pasta and let it cook for about five to eight minutes until soft.

5.  Add the lobster to the sauce and cook the lobster until done, about five to eight minutes.  While cooking the lobster, add the jalapeno peppers.  If you like it hot, add the peppers when you add the lobster and allow them to cook longer in the sauce.

6.  When the pasta and lobster is done, add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and lobster.  Stir the pasta into the sauce.

7.  Plate the pasta in a bowl, add the lobster and some of the sauce. Garnish with some grated Parmagiano Reggiano.

 ENJOY!