Lobster Scampi Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

2 lobster tails (4-6oz each)

1 lb cooked lobster meat

1 16oz box of linguine or fettuccine

2 tbsp olive oil

1 stick (or 8 tbsp) of salted butter

1 shallot or ½ yellow onion, chopped (optional)

8 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup chopped parsley (or more)

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese (or more)

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

½ cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio -OR- chicken, seafood, or veggie stock

¼ cup reserved pasta water (or more)

1 + 2 tsp seafood seasoning

½ + 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

Salt & black pepper to taste (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Clean and cut the lobster tails in half. Season with 1 tsp seafood seasoning and ½ tsp lemon pepper seasoning. Set aside.

2) Prepare the linguine or fettuccine pasta according to package instructions for al dente.

3) While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium to medium-low heat. Next, add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the shallot or onion (if using). Once the shallot/onion has softened (after about 2 minutes), add the garlic and toss around with a wooden spoon or plastic spatula. After another minute, add the parsley and toss around.

4) Once your aromatics are prepared in the skillet, turn the heat to medium-low and add the lobster tails meat-side-down. Cook for about 5 minutes, remove the lobster tails from the skillet, but leave the garlic-parsley butter. (You can even add more fresh butter, garlic, and parsley if you’d like)

5) Add the 1 lb of cooked lobster meat to the skillet to warm it up and flavor it with the cooked aromatics. Once warm, add the wine or stock to the pan and bring it to a simmer. Season with the remaining 2 tsp of seafood seasoning, 1 tsp of lemon pepper seasoning, lemon zest and juice.

6) Add the pasta the skillet and toss. It will soak up much of the garlic-butter-wine sauce, so add as much pasta water to the rebuild the sauce.

7) Once everything is well-combined and the sauce is to your liking, turn off the heat and incorporate the parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Enjoy!