Sauteed Pasta with Lobster

Name: Sauteed Pasta with Lobster
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4 whole live lobsters; ½ cup dry white wine; ¼ teaspoon crumbled saffron; 6 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large onion; 1 whole bay leaf; 1½ pound vine-ripened tomatoes; 2 cloves garlic; 1 pound angels hair pasta; broken in half; capellini; broken into 2-inch lengths; 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley

A luxurious Spanish-inspired pasta dish featuring succulent lobster meat, saffron-infused stock, and golden-brown pasta nests, finished with a rich sofregit of caramelized onions and tomatoes.

6 servings

3 hr 35 min

Published October 4, 2025

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Ingredients

•4 whole live lobsters
•½ cup dry white wine
•¼ teaspoon crumbled saffron
•6 tablespoons olive oil
•1 large onion
•1 whole bay leaf
•1½ pound vine-ripened tomatoes
•2 cloves garlic
•1 pound angels hair pasta
•broken in half
•capellini
•broken into 2-inch lengths
•2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cooking Instructions

1.
Fill an 8-quart pot three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil. Plunge 2 lobsters headfirst into water and boil, covered, 3 minutes. Transfer with tongs to a colander to cool. Repeat with remaining 2 lobsters in same manner.
15 min
2.
When lobster is cool enough to handle, remove meat from shells, catching juices in a separate bowl. Add shells to bowl with juices. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces and chill lobster, covered.
20 min
3.
Stir together wine and saffron and let mixture steep 10 minutes. Bring wine mixture, 14 cups water, and lobster shells with juices to a boil in 8-quart pot. Boil until liquid is reduced to about 8 cups, about 1 hour. Line a sieve with cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Pour stock through sieve, then discard solids.
70 min
4.
While stock reduces, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy skillet over low heat until hot, then cook onion with bay leaf until onion is very soft and browned, about 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until sofregit is very thick, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
60 min
5.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
5 min
6.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a cassola or an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pasta in 4 batches, stirring, until golden brown. Transfer pasta to a bowl as browned and add an additional tablespoon oil for each batch.
20 min
7.
When all of pasta is browned, return to pan and stir in sofregit and 4 cups stock (if using a cassola, use 4Bõps stock; your need more liquid because of the dish's straight sides). Reserve remaining stock for another use. Bring pasta mixture to a simmer, then continue to simmer, covered, 4 minutes. Stir in reserved lobster and season with salt and pepper. Transfer pan, uncovered, to middle of oven and bake 10 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and top of pasta is crisp. Stir in parsley.
25 min

Ingredients

•4 whole live lobsters

•½ cup dry white wine

•¼ teaspoon crumbled saffron

•6 tablespoons olive oil

•1 large onion

•1 whole bay leaf

•1½ pound vine-ripened tomatoes

•2 cloves garlic

•1 pound angels hair pasta

•broken in half

•capellini

•broken into 2-inch lengths

•2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cooking Instructions

Fill an 8-quart pot three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil. Plunge 2 lobsters headfirst into water and boil, covered, 3 minutes. Transfer with tongs to a colander to cool. Repeat with remaining 2 lobsters in same manner.

15 min

When lobster is cool enough to handle, remove meat from shells, catching juices in a separate bowl. Add shells to bowl with juices. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces and chill lobster, covered.

20 min

Stir together wine and saffron and let mixture steep 10 minutes. Bring wine mixture, 14 cups water, and lobster shells with juices to a boil in 8-quart pot. Boil until liquid is reduced to about 8 cups, about 1 hour. Line a sieve with cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Pour stock through sieve, then discard solids.

70 min

While stock reduces, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy skillet over low heat until hot, then cook onion with bay leaf until onion is very soft and browned, about 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until sofregit is very thick, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

60 min

Preheat oven to 400°F.

5 min

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a cassola or an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pasta in 4 batches, stirring, until golden brown. Transfer pasta to a bowl as browned and add an additional tablespoon oil for each batch.

20 min

When all of pasta is browned, return to pan and stir in sofregit and 4 cups stock (if using a cassola, use 4Bõps stock; your need more liquid because of the dish's straight sides). Reserve remaining stock for another use. Bring pasta mixture to a simmer, then continue to simmer, covered, 4 minutes. Stir in reserved lobster and season with salt and pepper. Transfer pan, uncovered, to middle of oven and bake 10 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and top of pasta is crisp. Stir in parsley.

25 min