Name: JOEY La Jollas Lobster Spaghetti Recipe
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 pieces Atlantic lobster tails (meat removed and shells reserved); 12 pieces Medium prawns (peeled and deveined, tails optional); 2 cups Cold water (for poaching lobster); 1 tsp Kosher salt (for poaching/seasoning); 12 oz Spaghetti; 1 cup Pasta cooking water (reserved); 6 tbsp Unsalted butter; 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil; 3 tbsp Shallots (finely minced); 3 cloves Garlic (finely minced); 3 fl oz Dry white wine; 1 cup Cherry tomatoes (halved); 2 tsp Lemon juice (fresh); 1 tsp Lemon zest (finely grated); 1 cup Lobster stock (from reserved shells) or low-sodium fish/chicken stock; 3 tbsp Italian parsley (finely chopped); 1 tsp Red pepper flakes; 1 to taste Salt; 1 to taste Freshly ground black pepper; 3 tbsp Lobster-lemon butter (melted unsalted butter blended with lobster jus and lemon); 1 tbsp Extra parsley for garnish (chopped); 2 tbsp Grated Pecorino or Parmesan (optional)

Method

Seafood

Poach lobster and prepare shells

Bring 2 cups of cold water with 1 tsp kosher salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add lobster tails and poach gently for 4–6 minutes until the meat is opaque and just cooked. Remove lobster to an ice bath to stop cooking. Reserve the shells. When cool, remove meat from shells, chop large pieces into bite-size chunks and keep shells for stock.

Cook prawns

Pat prawns dry and season lightly with salt. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Sear prawns 1–2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through. Remove prawns to a plate and reserve. Do not overcook.

Make Lobster Stock (optional, uses reserved shells)

In a small saucepan, add reserved lobster shells, 1 cup water (or 1 cup low-sodium fish/chicken stock if short on time), a pinch of salt, and simmer gently 12–15 minutes to extract flavor. Strain and reserve liquid (approximately 1 cup). Discard shells.

Pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add 12 oz spaghetti and cook until al dente according to package instructions (usually 8–10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining. Drain spaghetti and set aside briefly.

Sauce & Assembly

Sweat aromatics

In a wide, deep skillet or sauté pan set over medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter. When butter foams, add minced shallots and cook 2–3 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Deglaze and reduce

Add 3 fl oz dry white wine to the pan to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer 2–3 minutes until the wine reduces by about half.

Build sauce

Stir in halved cherry tomatoes and cook 2 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the reserved lobster stock (or the cup of stock) and bring to a gentle simmer for 3–4 minutes to meld flavors.

Finish sauce with butter and lemon

Reduce heat to low. Whisk in remaining 4 tbsp unsalted butter a tablespoon at a time to emulsify a glossy sauce. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Combine pasta, seafood, and sauce

Add the drained spaghetti to the pan with the sauce. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time as needed to loosen the sauce and achieve a silky consistency (use up to the reserved 1 cup). Fold in lobster chunks and prawns gently to warm through (about 1–2 minutes).

Finish and garnish

Stir in 3 tbsp lobster-lemon butter and 3 tbsp chopped Italian parsley. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice if desired. Remove from heat.

Plating

Divide spaghetti and seafood among 4 warm plates (serves 4). Spoon any remaining sauce over each portion. Garnish with extra chopped parsley and a light grate of Pecorino or Parmesan if using. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.