Lobster Fra Diavolo

On Saturday morning, I sent my husband to the market to buy some sliced turkey breast for lunch and he came home with five live lobsters. He said how could he resist the lobsters when they were selling for $3.99 a pound and the turkey breast he bought was $6.99 pound. I couldn’t argue with his thinking.

Five lobster’s, two people and no dinner guests…what to do with all that lobster meat. We have loads of fresh tomatoes in the garden and I have been making marinara sauce for the freezer. The answer was simple…Lobster Fra Diavolo with a fresh spicy tomato sauce served with tagliatelle.

Lobster Fra Diavolo

We would boil all five of the lobsters, use two for our Fra Diavolo and save the meat of the other three for another meal or two.

The best part of the deal was that my husband cooked the lobsters and took them all apart which made me very happy.

Lobster Claw And Knuckle Meat

Split Lobster Tails

Once the lobster was prepped, the dinner was simple and quick to prepare.

Lobster Fra Diavolo

This recipe is for two persons, adjust accordingly.

• 2   1  1/4 lb. lobsters cooked*,  tails split, claws and knuckles removed from shell
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 of a small onion, minced fine
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 or 2 tsp. anchovy paste
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper or to taste
• 1/4 c. dry white wine
• 2 c. basic marinara sauce or canned plum tomatoes, crushed
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp. plus 1 additional Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 to 8 oz. tagliatelle pasta or pasta of your choice

*To cook the lobster, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lobster head first,  return to a full boil, cover and cook for four minutes. Remove lobster and let cool until they can be handled. This method is for lobster that will be reheated. If cooking and then eating right away, cook for 6 minutes after they have returned to a full boil. If you do not wish to do this process, many markets and lobster ponds will steam your lobsters for you. In that case be sure not to overcook the lobster when it goes into the sauce or it will turn tough. 

In a skillet large enough to hold the finished meal, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Then add the garlic and cook until soft. Stir in the anchovy paste and red pepper, add the white wine and cook for about a minute. Add the marinara sauce, oregano, 1 Tbsp. of basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Let simmer about 10 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until barely al dente. About two minutes before the pasta is done add the lobster to the sauce to reheat.  Then remove the tails and two pieces of the claw meat and set aside. Drain the pasta well, add to the sauce, toss and cook to desired doneness  Plate the pasta, top with tail and claw meat and sprinkle with the remaining basil. 

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This simple dish used to be very popular in Italian American restaurants. In other parts of the world where Maine lobster is not available, you might find this dish prepared with langoustines, prawns, crayfish or shrimp.

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