Traditional Lobster Fra Diavlo with Spaghetti
This is a dish my family enjoys every year on Christmas Eve. We also enjoy it year round⏤even in the summer months on cold rainy days. I must be honest in saying that I am not the fondest of lobster dishes. I never took to eating lobster with butter or bake stuffed lobster. However, Lobster Fra Diavlo is an addiction for me. I love the flavor the lobster shells give the marinara sauce in this recipe. I took most of the recipe from Lidia Bastianich’s Lidia’s Italian American Kitchen, but I do not prepare the lobster in the same way. The lobster preparation is a bit of work, but very much worth it. I hope you enjoy making one of my favorite dishes!
See more of my favorite dishes here.
Print
Lobster Fra Diavlo
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Description
My favorite comfort food.
Ingredients
Scale
- Four 1 and 1/4 pound New England Lobsters
- All-purpose white flour
- 1/4–1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 8 Cloves of whole garlic, simply smashed with a knife and peeled
- 2 28 oz. cans of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/2–1 Tbsp. Hot Red Pepper Flakes (I like it extra spicy!)
- Salt and Pepper
- Barilla dry spaghetti
- Italian flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped for garnish)
Instructions
- Partially steam the lobsters. Take a large pan and fill with an inch or so of water. Add lobsters and cover. Steam for about 4 minutes. Do not cook all the way through! It is important that the lobster meat remains tender as they will be cooked again.
- When the lobsters are cool enough to touch, cut up the lobster into manageable pieces. I find a sturdy pair of kitchen scissors are the best tool for this job.
- Start by removing the arms. Cut off enough of the shell on the top of the claw so that guests don’t have to do too much work in getting the meat out, but that the lobster is still in the shell. (see demo pictures below)
- Next, cut each body cavity (body and tail connected) lengthwise. It is important to remove the brain sack and eggs. I usually wipe the interior clean with a paper towel. (see demo pictures below) Sometimes I disconnect the tail and the cavity, and sometimes I keep them together. It depends on my mood and/or what presentation I’m going for that day.
- Pat all lobster parts with paper towel.
- Flour lobster liberally, making sure it sticks to all areas. (I usually dip it in flour, rub it around and shake off the excess.)
- Heat olive oil in high-sided pan. Sear lobster on medium to high heat, so it becomes golden brown. Set aside all of the lobster except a claw and a body cavity or two to flavor the sauce. Or, if you’re not using the extra parts for presentation, put them in. The more shells the better. The shells give the sauce flavor. Do not throw away any oil bits. This is a key component in the flavor of the sauce.
- Add in garlic and hot pepper flakes. ( I add more olive oil at this point and make a small puddle for the garlic and pepper flakes.) Stir until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, crushing in your hands as you do so. Simmer for about 40 minutes on low heat, so the flavors combine.
- Sometimes I put the lobster pieces in the oven on very low heat to keep them warm.
- When ready to serve, add lobster back in pan and heat for about 5-10 minutes. I like to cover the lobster pieces with the sauce, so that all of the flavors meld.
- Salt a prepared pot of boiling water and cook spaghetti until al dente.
- Mix in the spaghetti to the sauce, adding some reserved pasta water or extra olive oil if needed. Sprinkle with parsley. (I prefer Barilla dry spaghetti.)
- Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Cuisine: Italian-American
