Greece is dotted with countless seafood tavernas that will only have fish and seafood on their menu. Many will also serve up Astakomakaronia aka Lobster Pasta. I have good ones (and bad ones). Lobster in Greece is pricy so check reviews before ordering or patronizing a taverna.
I have shared other lobster pasta recipes which will have a similar flavour profile but the difference here is how it’s made – sauce and lobster in one pan and pasta in another. This how the Greek seafood tavernas make it. The efficient lobster pasta recipe.
You can use Atlantic or spiny lobster or the equivalent in lobster tails. You have full control of cooking the lobster, the sauce will have some lobster flavour and the pasta is on your table in 20 minutes!
Lobster Pasta (Astakomakaronada)
Course: MainCuisine: GreekDifficulty: Easy2
servings10
minutes16
minutesIngredients
1 lobster (about 1 1/2 lb)
approx 170 gr. dry linguine
1 cup tomato puree (pasata)
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups water
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup diced white onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup Ouzo (or 1 whole star anise)
pinch of chilli flakes
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or scallions or chives
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Directions
- Place your lobster flat on your cutting board and plunge your knife straight through the head and cut lengthwise in half. Tear the claws off and use the back of the knife to make cracks in the claws. Set Aside.
- Place a medium pot of water on your stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil. Add a good amount of salt and cook your linguine for 6-7 minutes.
- Grab a medium to large pot and place on your stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the tomato, wine, water, olive oil, onion, garlic and bay leaf. Once the sauce boils, place the two lobster halves into the sauce (shell side down). Reduce heat to a simmer and cook the lobster for 6-7 minutes or until the tail meat is opaque. Take the tails out and reserve in a bowl. Cook the claws for a 1 minute more and place in the bowl with the tails.
- Add the ouzo, chilli, flakes, salt and pepper and simmer until the sauce has thickened.
- Strain your pasta and add to the sauce and toss to coat. Plate your pasta on a platter and place the lobster on top along with remaining sauce in the pan.
- Top with parsley or scallions and serve.
Notes
- If you’re intimidated by handling a whole lobster, you could use lobster tails instead.
