Athenian Astakomakaronada Recipe

Prepare lobster

If using live lobster: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Submerge lobster headfirst and cook 6–8 minutes for 1 kg until shell is bright red. Remove and cool slightly. Reserve 500 ml of cooking liquid. Remove meat from tail and claws; chop coarsely and refrigerate. Reserve shells and bodies for stock. If using pre-cooked lobster meat, reserve shells (if available) or skip to stock step and use 1 kg meat directly.

Make seafood stock: in a medium pot, combine lobster shells, shrimp shells, fish bones and 2 liters water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, skimming foam once it rises. Add 1 small onion quartered, 1 carrot (optional), 1 celery stalk, and a bay leaf if desired. Simmer gently 25–30 minutes (do not overboil to avoid bitterness). Strain stock through a fine sieve or chinois, pressing to extract liquid. Discard solids. You should have about 600–800 ml; reserve 400 ml for the sauce and keep the rest for sipping or other uses. Adjust salt lightly — stock should be slightly under-salted.

Boil pasta

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add 2 tbs coarse salt. Add the pasta and cook until just shy of al dente (1–2 minutes less than package directions), stirring occasionally. Reserve 250 ml of the starchy pasta cooking water before draining. Drain pasta and set aside while sauce finishes.

Start the sauce: heat 5 tbs extra-virgin olive oil in a wide heavy skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and a pinch of salt; sweat until translucent about 6–8 minutes. Add sliced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.

Deglaze and build flavor: add 120 ml dry white wine, bring to a simmer, and reduce by half (about 2–3 minutes). Stir in 2 tbs tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove raw paste taste.

Add tomatoes and stock: add crushed tomatoes (800 g) and 400 ml of the strained seafood stock. Stir well to combine. Add 2 tbs chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried), 1 tsp sugar (if tomatoes are very acidic), 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered 12–15 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and flavors concentrate. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Finish with lobster meat and shrimp: add chopped lobster meat and peeled shrimp to the sauce about 4–5 minutes before the sauce is done so they heat through but remain tender. If lobster was raw (if you used raw tail meat), ensure it cooks through (additional 3–4 minutes). Stir in 3 tbs chopped parsley.

Combine pasta and sauce: add the drained pasta to the pan with the sauce. Toss vigorously over low heat to coat. Add reserved pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time (up to 150–200 ml) as needed to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the pasta. Stir in 30 g unsalted butter to enrich and gloss the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Plate and garnish: transfer pasta family-style to a large shallow serving bowl. Garnish with extra chopped parsley, lemon zest and lemon wedges on the side. Sprinkle grated kefalograviera or parmesan if desired. Serve immediately so lobster remains tender.

Serving note: for presentation, reserve a few whole claw pieces and place them on top of the pasta. Offer additional crusty bread to sop up sauce.