Anything I’ve said about any of the pastas I’ve made previous to this post, disregard…immediately! THIS is currently the best pasta I have ever made and / or eaten in my life. Seriously, my husband and boys said this lobster spaghetti with chili breadcrumbs is the BEST pasta I have ever made in my life. I have to agree. I have been following Meredith Hayden from Wishbone Kitchen since the pandemic and will tell you, none of her recipes disappoint.The pasta in this recipe as the original calls for 3/4 of the spaghetti that comes in the box and opted for a full box, 1 pound, of pasta. Also, I’ve added the tomato paste for a bit more depth of flavor and found that the wine wasn’t enough so I doubled that as well to be left with a bit more “sauce” after reduction.
Lobster Spaghetti with Chili Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs cooked lobster meat
- 1/4 cup fresh tarragon
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 2 tbsp finely chopped shallot
- 1 tbsp finely grated garlic
- 1 carton of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 16 oz of dried spaghetti
- 2 tbsps of olive oil
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 2 tsp+ more chopped Calabrian chilis
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 lemon, zested
- lemon juice, for serving
Prepare
- First, make the toasted breadcrumb topping. Heat 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add 1 tsp of Calabrian chilis. Mix to combine, then add your panko breadcrumbs. Toss the panko until it’s evenly coated and toast for 3-5 minutes while mixing until golden brown. Season with salt and set aside.
- Next, bring a large pot of water too a boil, season with salt. Add the pasta to the boiling salted water and cook 2 minutes shy of al dente. While its cooking, prepare the sauce.
- Then in a large pan on medium heat, combine 1 tbsp of olive oil and 3 tbsp of butter. Add your shallots, grated garlic, and Calabrian chilis and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the cooked lobster meat and a splash of pasta water. Toss to combine.
- Transfer the cooked pasta directly into the pan with the lobster, along with the rest of the butter and a few splashes of pasta water. Toss to coat the pasta in the sauce, adding more pasta water as needed.
- Add the fresh herbs and zest of 1 lemon and toss to incorporate.
- Finally, plate your lobster pasta and top with toasted bread crumbs and more tarragon.
