Ingredients

The following ingredients have 2 Servings
  • Two (2-pound) live lobsters*
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves (smashed)
  • 1 pound spaghetti or linguine
  • 1 dried Italian hot red pepper (split lengthwise, or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups canned crushed Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano, undrained)
  • 4 anchovy fillets (chopped)
  • 2 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Sicilian)
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instruction

  • Place the lobsters in the freezer for 30 minutes.
  • Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat for the pasta.
  • While the water comes to a boil, turn each chilled lobster on its back and, using a large knife, split it lengthwise down the middle. Spread open the lobster bodies and tails but do not remove the meat from the shells. Remove the eyes and antennae and scrape out the digestive sac, reserving the tomalley and roe, if desired.
  • Place a large Dutch oven or other wide pot over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the olive oil. Add the garlic and stir until golden, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the hot pepper and lobsters to the garlic and oil, cut side down, and cook until the shells turn red and the lobster meat is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. (You may need to cook the lobsters in batches.) Remove the lobsters from the pot.
  • Meanwhile, add the salt and pasta to the boiling water, stir, and cook until al dente.
  • Add the wine and tomatoes to the garlic and oil and bring to a simmer. Add the anchovies, oregano, and tomalley and roe, if desired, and stir well. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened, 6 to 7 minutes.
  • Taste the sauce and season with more dried pepper to taste. Add the lobster shells and meat to the sauce, and gently simmer until the lobster is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
  • Move the lobsters to a plate and either reserve to serve atop the pasta, or remove the lobster meat from the shells, chop it, and stir it into the sauce.
  • Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
  • Add the pasta to the sauce and toss. If a thinner sauce is desired, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water, a little at a time. Pile the pasta onto a platter and sprinkle with the parsley. If you didn’t incorporate the lobster into the sauce, arrange it on top of the pasta. Serve family-style.