Ingredients

The following ingredients have 8 Servings
  • 2 small live lobsters (450gm each)
  • 50 gm butter
  • 125 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for sauce if necessary (½ cup)
  • 2 small garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
  • 10 basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp coarsely torn flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish
  • 3 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded, diced
  • 1 tbsp baby capers
  • 700 gm pasta "00" flour (6 cups)
  • 7 eggs

Instruction

  • For pasta dough, place flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack eggs into it and mix with a fork, then start incorporating flour into the eggs, using your hand to combine. Turn out onto a lightly floured bench and knead until mixture is smooth (10 minutes). You may need to add more flour if mixture is sticky. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes. Roll a quarter of the dough through a pasta machine, starting on widest setting and reducing a notch at a time until the second-to-last setting. Pass it through the spaghetti setting, then hang it over a wooden broom handle or clothes rack to dry slightly in a draught-free room (1 hour). Repeat with remaining dough.
  • Kill lobster humanely, then remove the head using a heavy knife. Boil lobster in a large saucepan of heavily salted water for 4 minutes and refresh in ice water. Remove all the meat from the shell (reserve shell and head to make stock for another use), chop coarsely and refrigerate until required.
  • When ready to serve, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Heat butter and oil in another large saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and stir until pale golden (2-3 minutes). Add lobster meat, basil, parsley, tomatoes and capers. Season to taste and simmer until tomatoes have broken down (5 minutes). You may need to add extra olive oil for a smoother sauce. Keep warm.
  • Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente (1-2 minutes). Drain, reserving 200ml cooking water, and toss pasta through the lobster mixture. Add enough reserved pasta water so the sauce coats pasta well and serve immediately.