Spaghetti with Artichoke-Lobster Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 12, 2011
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
16 artichokes (baby), rinsed and trimmed to the heart (see instructions below)2 live lobsters, 1 ½ pounds each, or 2 cups cooked crabmeat1 pound spaghetti ¼ cup olive oil Salt and ground black pepper 6 tablespoons lemon juice, from 2 lemons3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Before You Begin
This pasta dish makes an especially nice first course. If you prefer, you can substitute for the lobster one pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into one-by-one-half-inch pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper and quickly sautéed.
Instructions
- To Trim Artichokes: First, cut off the stem and top quarter. Then, to get to the heart of the artichoke, bend back and snap off the outer leaves, leaving the thick bottom portion attached to the base. Continue snapping off the leaves until you reach the light yellow cone at the center. With a small knife, carefully trim off the dark green outer layer from the bottom of the artichoke. Cut off the dark section of the top. (If not using baby artichokes, the raw heart can be halved to remove the inedible center or it can be cooked first, then halved and dechoked. Remove the purple leaves and the fuzzy choke with a sharp-edged spoon.)
- To Steam Artichokes: Place steaming apparatus in large nonreactive pot with tight-fitting lid; bring 1 inch of water to boil. Place artichoke hearts in steaming apparatus. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; cover and steam over medium-high heat until tender, about 15 minutes for whole baby hearts (10 minutes if halved). Carefully lift steaming apparatus from pot. Use tongs to gently remove hearts.
- Bring 1 inch water to boil in large pot. Add lobsters; steam until done, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then remove tail and claw meat (see illustrations below). Cut lobster meat into bite-size pieces and set aside.
- Bring 1 gallon water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the spaghetti; boil until al dente.
- Meanwhile, whisk olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the lemon juice in a medium bowl.
- Drain pasta, but do not shake dry; return to pot. Add dressing; toss to coat. Add lobster, artichokes, and parsley; toss carefully. Serve immediately.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 6Ingredients
16 artichokes (baby), rinsed and trimmed to the heart (see instructions below)
2 live lobsters, 1 ½ pounds each, or 2 cups cooked crabmeat
1 pound spaghetti
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
6 tablespoons lemon juice, from 2 lemons
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
16 artichokes (baby), rinsed and trimmed to the heart (see instructions below)
2 live lobsters, 1 ½ pounds each, or 2 cups cooked crabmeat
1 pound spaghetti
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
6 tablespoons lemon juice, from 2 lemons
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
16 artichokes (baby), rinsed and trimmed to the heart (see instructions below)
2 live lobsters, 1 ½ pounds each, or 2 cups cooked crabmeat
1 pound spaghetti
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
6 tablespoons lemon juice, from 2 lemons
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a better, quicker artichoke recipe, we found that steaming worked well. We put whole artichokes, stem end up, in about an inch of water in a heavy-gauge nonreactive pot with a tight-fitting lid. A steaming rack was useful but not necessary. Braising, which combines browning and simmering, also produced very flavorful artichokes. However, this method involved more work than steaming, since we first had to sauté the artichokes, then deglaze the pan, then simmer the artichokes in liquid.
Before You Begin
This pasta dish makes an especially nice first course. If you prefer, you can substitute for the lobster one pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into one-by-one-half-inch pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper and quickly sautéed.
Instructions
- To Trim Artichokes: First, cut off the stem and top quarter. Then, to get to the heart of the artichoke, bend back and snap off the outer leaves, leaving the thick bottom portion attached to the base. Continue snapping off the leaves until you reach the light yellow cone at the center. With a small knife, carefully trim off the dark green outer layer from the bottom of the artichoke. Cut off the dark section of the top. (If not using baby artichokes, the raw heart can be halved to remove the inedible center or it can be cooked first, then halved and dechoked. Remove the purple leaves and the fuzzy choke with a sharp-edged spoon.)
- To Steam Artichokes: Place steaming apparatus in large nonreactive pot with tight-fitting lid; bring 1 inch of water to boil. Place artichoke hearts in steaming apparatus. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; cover and steam over medium-high heat until tender, about 15 minutes for whole baby hearts (10 minutes if halved). Carefully lift steaming apparatus from pot. Use tongs to gently remove hearts.
- Bring 1 inch water to boil in large pot. Add lobsters; steam until done, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then remove tail and claw meat (see illustrations below). Cut lobster meat into bite-size pieces and set aside.
- Bring 1 gallon water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the spaghetti; boil until al dente.
- Meanwhile, whisk olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the lemon juice in a medium bowl.
- Drain pasta, but do not shake dry; return to pot. Add dressing; toss to coat. Add lobster, artichokes, and parsley; toss carefully. Serve immediately.
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