main dishes sardinian

Spaghetti with Lobster (Spaghetti all'Aragosta)

Spaghetti tossed with lobster meat simmered in a simple tomato sauce. A Sardinian pasta dish that turns a small amount of lobster into a full meal.

Pescatarian Dairy-Free Nut-Free
Back to Recipes More Recipes
Prep 15 min
Cook 27 min
Total 42 min
Servings 6
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

Pasta

Seafood

Sauce

Aromatics

Fat

Herbs

Seasoning

Need a different yield?

Open this recipe in the scaler to adjust servings and turn the ingredients into a grouped shopping list.

Scale this recipe

Instructions

  1. Cook the lobster. Boil or steam the lobsters until the shells are red and the meat is opaque. Let cool enough to handle, then remove all the meat from the claws, tail, and body. Dice the meat into bite-sized pieces.

  2. Start the sauce. Heat half the olive oil in a large, deep pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.

  3. Add the tomatoes. Add the diced tomatoes to the pan. Season with salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down into a loose sauce.

  4. Add the lobster. Stir the diced lobster meat into the tomato sauce. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for about 15 to 20 minutes. The lobster flavors the sauce as it warms through.

    Tip: Keep the heat low. You are warming the lobster and marrying it with the sauce, not cooking it further. High heat will make the meat rubbery.

  5. Cook the spaghetti. While the sauce simmers, cook the spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.

  6. Toss and serve. Add the drained spaghetti to the pan with the lobster sauce. Toss over low heat, adding pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce until it coats the spaghetti evenly. Finish with the remaining olive oil and the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Storage & Meal Prep

This pasta is best served immediately. Leftovers keep for 1 day in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water. The lobster will firm up when cold, which is fine for eating the next day but not ideal.

Variations

  • With Cherry Tomatoes: Replace the diced tomatoes with 400g of halved cherry tomatoes. Add them to the pan after the onion has softened and cook until they just burst. The sauce will be sweeter and brighter.
  • With a Splash of White Wine: Deglaze the onion with 100ml of dry white wine before adding the tomatoes. Let the wine reduce by half. This adds acidity and depth to the sauce.

FAQ

Do I cook the lobster before adding it to the sauce?

Yes. The lobster should be cooked first, then shelled and diced. You can boil, steam, or grill it. The diced meat goes into the tomato sauce to warm through and absorb flavor, not to cook from raw.

Can I use frozen lobster tails?

Yes. Boil or steam the tails for 8 to 10 minutes, then dice the meat. The sauce will cover any difference in flavor between fresh and frozen. Whole lobster gives you claw meat and roe, which add complexity, but tails work fine.

How much lobster per person?

About 65 to 70 grams of lobster meat per person, which is what this recipe calls for. This is a pasta dish with lobster, not a lobster dish with pasta. The lobster flavors the sauce and the oil, so a small amount goes a long way.

Interactive Nutrition Map

6 Servings

Customize Ingredients

Fish & Seafood
Lobster (Northern, Raw)
400 g
Vegetables
Tomato (Red, Ripe)
300 g
Onion (Yellow/White)
110 g
Grains & Bread
Dried Pasta (Small)
480 g
Oils & Fats
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
108 g
Herbs & Spices
Fresh Parsley
16 g
Salt
6 g

Per Serving

532kcalCalories
24gProtein
64gCarbs
20gFat
4gFiber
Sodium
229mg10% DV
Potassium
494mg11% DV
Calcium
82mg6% DV
Iron
1.6mg9% DV
Magnesium
71mg17% DV
Vitamin C
8.5mg9% DV
Vitamin A
25µg3% DV
Vitamin K
16.7µg14% DV
Folate
28µg7% DV
Dried Pasta (Small)
Lobster (Northern, Raw)
Tomato (Red, Ripe)
Onion (Yellow/White)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Parsley
Salt
* Nutrition is an estimate; actual values vary by ingredient brands and cooking methods. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Story Behind This Dish

Spaghetti all’aragosta is a practical dish in Sardinian cooking. It takes a modest amount of lobster and stretches it into something that feeds six people, which is how most home cooks approach expensive seafood.

The sauce is minimal: onion, tomato, olive oil, and the lobster itself. The lobster goes in already cooked, so it warms through and flavors the sauce without overcooking. The whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes if the lobster is pre-cooked, which it usually is when you buy it from the fish counter.

This is not aragosta alla catalana, which is a cold salad from Alghero. This is a hot pasta, the kind you make on a weeknight when you want something that feels like a proper meal but does not require a second course. A piece of bread to mop up the sauce at the end is standard.