My husband and I love to use Valentine's Day as a reminder to slow down, write a nice card and enjoy a delicious meal together. While in theory you should always make time for that, sometimes you need an extra reminder!
This meal was a great way to squeeze in a fancy meal on a Tuesday when we both had busy long days and a laborious meal was not going to fit on the calendar. Lobster always feels decedent but this method takes just 6 minutes to cook fancy lobster tails!
I love using lemon zest in pasta recipes, it gives such a strong lemon flavor without adding too much excess liquid to the recipe.
For this recipe I went with fresh linguine which has amazing texture compared to dried but of course dried pasta works too. Pro tip: fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried and feels far fancier!
Creamy Lemon Lobster Pasta
2 Servings | Cook time: 15 minutes
Notes: The perfect quick yet decedent valentines day feast for 2! If you don’t have lobster, shrimp is an easy alternative (or chicken if you don’t eat seafood). Pairs well with chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of wine.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups water
Salt and pepper
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp half and half
1/4 cup unsweetened original almond milk
1 shallot, diced
1 tbsp lemon zest
4 small lobster tails or 2 large
1 bunch asparagus (200g), chopped into 2” chunks with the ends cut off
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups spinach
4oz fresh or dried linguine pasta
2 tbsp grated parmesan, plus more for topping
Optional: 400g spiraled zucchini noodles
Optional: 1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Directions:
Bring white wine vinegar, thyme sprigs and water to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add lobster tails to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes or until the lobster turns bright red and the tails start to curl.
Remove with tongs and set aside to cool.
Drain the water reserving about 1/2 cup for later.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt liberally and cook pasta according to provided directions. Strain and set aside.
Remove the lobster meat from its shell by cutting down the belly of the lobster tails, removing the meat and cutting it into chunks.
While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in the pan and add asparagus, shallot and garlic to the pan along with salt and pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the veggies soften.
If using, add zoodles to the pot and cook for another minute or so.
Add lemon zest and toss to combine. Add half and half, almond milk and reserved pasta water.
Bring sauce to a boil and add in spinach leaves and chopped lobster meat. Once the sauce has reduced by about half, 3-4 minutes, fold in pasta and cook another few minutes. Season with more salt and pepper as needed.
Once sauce has reached desired consistency, turn off heat and add in parmesan and, if using, red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. Serve immediately garnished with extra parmesan and fresh herbs and lemon, as desired.
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Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.
