Chardonnay Poached Lobster Linguine

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. (Cook according to package instructions for al dente—typically not longer than 7 minutes.) Drain well. Place to the side to cool.

In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat until the garlic is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the lobster tails and season with salt and black pepper. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Place a lid on the skillet and simmer/steam the tails for eight minutes. After eight minutes, remove the lobster tails from the skillet and set them aside. Continue to simmer the wine mixture over medium/low heat for an additional eight minutes. After eight minutes, turn the heat to warm or low because you are going to need to add the lobster back to the warm sauce later. During this reduction time, you are also going to shell the lobster.

Meanwhile, chop the parsley and the basil. Set aside.

Turn the lobster tail on its back. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut length-wise down the center between the legs. Crack each pair of legs back towards the shell. Start peeling off pieces of shell. Think of it like a large shrimp. Similarly to a large shrimp, the lobster tail has the intestinal tract that you will need to remove. To do that, cut length-wise along the back of the lobster tail. Don’t go too deep. You will see the tract and be able to pull it out in one piece. I know it’s gross, but just keep your eye on the prize!

After all the lobster has been shelled, cut it into large chunks, and add it back into the skillet along with the basil and parsley. Be sure to reserve some parsley and basil for garnish. Cook until everything is heated through and well coated.

Add the cooled linguine and sauce into a large bowl and toss well. Season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle the pasta with the remaining parsley and basil and a squeeze of lemon juice, toss once more and serve.