Lobster Diablo with Linguini (Italian-American Lobster Fra Diavolo)

Lobster Fra Diavolo is a fiery, flavourful Italian-American dish that brings the ocean’s finest to your table with bold, spicy tomato sauce and a hint of garlic. Traditionally made with whole lobster, this dish has evolved, capturing the essence of southern Italian cooking with a New World twist. "Fra Diavolo," meaning "brother devil" in Italian, aptly describes the spice level of this dish, which is perfect for those who crave a little heat. Creating Lobster Fra Diavolo at home might seem intimidating, but it’s surprisingly simple and always impressive. In this recipe, fresh lobster is quickly fried to keep the meat tender and juicy, then finished in a rich, garlicky tomato sauce infused with chili flakes, white wine and fresh herbs.

1 lb linguini
2 lobsters, cooked with meat removed or 4 lobster tails cooked, meat removed and split in half
10 medium shrimp
½ cup white wine
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cups tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh oregano or ½ tsp. dried
3 tsp. fresh basil, chopped or 1½ tsp. dried
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper
½ cup claim juice
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Get a large pot of water boiling to cook the pasta.

Remove the meat from the lobster.

Chop the shallots, garlic and basil. Have the rest of the ingredients on hand.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic until translucent about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, white wine, and clam juice. Stir to blend all the ingredients.

Season with oregano, basil and crushed red pepper. Be careful with those crushed red pepper flakes. If you are not a fan of spicy foods, go easy. You can always add more to the dish after it’s served. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the lobster and shrimp and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the shrimp are no longer translucent but white and opaque. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the pasta is done, make a bed of pasta on each plate, add a piece of lobster along with a few shrimp and top with sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Cook's Notes: You want to time the cooking of the linguini with making the fra diablo sauce. The pasta should be al dente so you have to pay attention to when you start actually cooking the pasta. Having the sauce ready and having to wait on the pasta is not great, but overcooked pasta is worse.