“This dish is often served on Christmas Eve in Italy, as most Italians celebrate on December 24 and, especially in the south, they eat a lot of fish,” says Angela Hartnett, chef proprietor of Murano and Cafe Murano. “They also sometimes have baccala [dried salt cod] with tomato or clam linguini. Except for grilling, this is undoubtedly the best way to eat lobster. Use great-quality tinned plum tomatoes for the sauce and only use a touch – you mustn’t overwhelm the delicate lobster. And use dried spaghetti – it has a better consistency and is less sticky than fresh pasta. My favourite brand is Latini, but it’s very hard to find in the UK, so I usually end up using De Cecco, which is also great.”
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
01 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for 7-8 minutes, or according to packet instructions, until al dente.
02 Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in another large pan and add the chillies, garlic and spring onions. Season well and cook gently for 1-2 minutes without colouring.
03 Add the prepared lobster meat and wine. Add a little more seasoning, then allow the wine to bubble and reduce for 2-3 minutes. Don’t cook for longer than this or the lobster will go rubbery.
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04 Add the tomato, cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
05 Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Toss well, then stir in the herbs, season to taste and serve drizzled with olive oil.
This dish will be served as part of Angela Hartnett’s festive menu, The Feast of The Seven Fishes, available at Cafe Murano Covent Garden and St James for groups of eight people or more, until December 24; cafemurano.co.uk