Lobster Fra Diavolo | Aragosta Fra Diavolo

Ingredients

| metric conversion

• Two 2-pound live lobsters
• 1/4 cup Lunaolivo Habanero olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 dried Italian hot red pepper, split lengthwise, or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups canned crushed Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, undrained
• 4 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Sicilian
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 pound spaghetti or linguine
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

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1. Place the lobsters in the freezer for 30 minutes.

2. Turn each lobster on its back and, using a large knife, split it lengthwise down the middle. (This will kill it instantly.) Spread open the lobster bodies and tails but do not remove the meat from the shells. Remove the eyes and antennae and scrape out the digestive sac, reserving the tomalley and roe, if desired.

3. Place a large Dutch oven or other wide pot over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the olive oil. Add the garlic and stir until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the hot pepper and lobsters, cut side down, and cook until the shells turn red and the lobster meat is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. (You may need to cook the lobsters in batches.) Remove the lobsters from the pot.

4. Add the wine and tomatoes to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the anchovies, oregano, and tomalley and roe, if desired, and stir well. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened, 6 to 7 minutes. Taste and season with additional dried pepper, to taste. Add the lobster shells and meat to the sauce and simmer until the lobster is cooked through, about 5 more minutes.

5. While the sauce is cooking, fill a pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the salt. Add the pasta, stir, and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

6. Transfer the lobsters to a plate and either reserve to serve atop the pasta or remove the lobster meat from the shells, chop it, and stir it into the sauce.

7. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss. Transfer to a large serving platter and sprinkle with the parsley. If you didn’t incorporate the lobster into the sauce, place it on top of the pasta. Serve family-style.