This decadent, creamy-dreamy power-house pasta dish comes from chef Sam McCleland of the Bell & Anchor in Sag Harbor. It’s not a throw-it-together, crack-a-jar-of-sauce, mid-week pasta dish. No, no, no. This is the kind of extra-steps supper you carefully lord over for people you really, really care about. Or perhaps make when you’re wooing that someone special. Or when you just want to full-on luxuriate in lobster (who doesn’t?).
Old School Lobster Garganelli
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 1 1/2 lb lobsters
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1/2 cup basil finely chopped
- 2 ears corn kernels removed, cobs reserved
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 1 tsp saffron
- 1 qt heavy cream
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 1 lb garganelli or other tubular, stout pasta
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Directions
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large stock pot. Add the lobsters, cover and steam for 8 minutes.
- Carefully remove the lobsters and allow to cool. When the lobsters are cool enough to handle, remove the claw and tail meat, chop and set aside. Reserve the remaining liquid in the pot for the sauce.
- Return the lobster shells and bodies to the reserved liquid. Add 1/3 of the chopped basil, corn cobs chopped onion, saffron, heavy cream, and a healthy pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a heavy simmer, and cook 20 minutes. Remove from heat and strain liquid through a fine mesh sieve.
- Fill a large pot with water and cook the garganelli according to package directions. Strain and set aside.
- Pour the liquid into a deep pan or Dutch oven. Add in the remaining basil and corn kernels. Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to low and add in lobster meat, cooked garganelli and butter. Stir until the butter melts. Adjust seasoning as needed and serve immediately. Enjoy!
