Summah’s Ovah.

The local accents of New England are dear to me. Many, many years ago I spent a September week with my siblings and their kids in Chatham, on Cape Cod. (I was brought along as the kids’ manny.) Spending time with my nieces and nephew (ages 1-4, think ) was really fun, if at times exhausting. I remember a rare moment alone one morning walking on the beach; I came across a local man with a thick mane of sun-bleached hair and a long, scraggly beard that jutted out over his school bus yellow rain slicker. He was pulling in floats from the ocean. All he said to me was, “Summah’s ovah.” We both looked out to sea; I nodded, he nodded, and then we went on our ways. Classic Yankee taciturnity; I smile every time I think of it.

Summer’s waning, while sad, reminds me that it’s also lobster (lobstah) season which is definitely a happy thing. There is nothing like a perfect lobster roll with just enough mayo to hold the sweet chunks of lobster meat together, piled high in a grilled New England bun. True, I love a simple steamed lobster, too, though it’s much messier with all that melted butter. (How is melted butter a problem?) But I never buy or eat lobster tails sold by themselves—I was taught by my fish monger in Maine that you never do that. They’ve been long dead and will have no flavor.

But cooked lobster meat—fresh or flash frozen—is Maine-approved. While visiting friends in Flagstaff, I decided we needed some lobster in our lives. Amazingly, a local grocery chain had half-pound bags of frozen claw meat, which I find sweeter and more tender. I decided to make a favorite: Lobster in Tomato-Tarragon Cream over pasta. It’s a tad decadent, quite special, and I saved a few claws for garnish, which made it look even more so. 

Now that I know where to source this lobster meat, this pasta might show up more regularly on our table. Or maybe I will learn to make New England hot dog rolls from scratch so I can make lobstah rolls at home. Whatever I opt to make, I certainly don’t have to wait for summah to be ovah. Ayuh.

~ David 

Linguine with Lobster in Tomato-Tarragon Cream

September 21, 2024

by Cocoa & Lavender

To print this recipe, please click the small printer icon below.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1 large shallot, minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika (or cayenne), or to taste
• 8 canned San Marzano tomatoes from a 28 ounce can (see Note)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, plus additional for garnish
• 1/4 cup white vermouth
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound lobster meat, four claws reserved for garnish
• 1 pound linguine, cooked al dente

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
• Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft but not brown. Add the hot paprika (or cayenne) and stir to distribute; cook for 30 seconds longer. Add the tomatoes, crushing them in your hand as you put them into the pan. Add the chopped tarragon and vermouth, and cook until thickened. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• At this point, I strain the tomato sauce through a sieve pressing the solids to get all the flavor. You can opt to skip this step and leave your sauce chunky, if you prefer.
• Start cooking your pasta — it should take around 10-12 minutes, depending on the brand.
• Add the cream to the tomato sauce and set over medium heat. Cook until nicely thickened.
• In a small skillet, add a teaspoon butter over medium heat and gently sauté the reserved claws. Keep them warm.
• About a minute before the pasta is done, add the lobster meat to the tomato sauce and simmer to heat the lobster through.
• When the pasta is al dente, drain it in a colander and return it to the pot. Pour the sauce over the pasta and heat over medium for a minute or so to allow the sauce to coat the pasta. Divide among four pasta plates/bowls and then top with any remaining sauce and lobster. Sprinkle with chopped tarragon and top each serving with a claw.
• Serves 4.
• Note: save the remaining tomatoes in the can for another use.

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