Carla Hall's Lobster Rigatoni

I made the Lobster Rigatoni dish by Carla Hall. This was a yummy dish, and pretty simple to cook! She said that this can also be made with shrimp so I might also try that next time.

This was my first attempt at cooking with lobster! I had my husband buy three 4 oz frozen lobster tails. To cook them, I steamed them over salt water for 6 minutes. However, I steamed them frozen. I discovered the hard way that I should have let the lobster completely thaw for 24 hours before steaming. The meat got stuck to the shell. My husband was able to help me eventually peel all the lobster meet out, though with a lot of work!

Lobster Rigatoni (~from Carla Hall’s book Cooking with Love)

Ingredients

Kosher salt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (1 ½ cups)

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon crushed red chile flakes, plus more to taste

1 pound rigatoni

¾ cup dry white wine

1 pound plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (I didn’t peel or seed them)

1 cup cooked lobster meat chunks (1/2 pound)

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

½ cup thinly sliced scallions

Preparation

1.     Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

2.     While the water is heating, heat the oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and chile flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened, about 4 minutes.

3.     Add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook according to the package’s directions until al dente. Drain well in a colander, then return to the pot.  

4.     While the pasta cooks, add the wine to the onions and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the wine has almost completed evaporated, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the lobster and heat until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5.     Stir the lobster and sauce int the rigatoni. Add the cheese and toss gently until well combined. Divide among serving plates and garnish with scallions.