Restaurant-style Seafood Pasta With Lemon-anchovy Butter
Bring the coast to your kitchen with this elegant seafood pasta, featuring briny clams, sweet lobster, and a glossy lemon-anchovy butter emulsion that mimics high-end trattoria dining.
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Heavy-bottomed Pot or French Oven
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 8 oz Linguine pasta
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup White wine
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 12-16 Littleneck clams, scrubbed clean
- 1 Lobster tail (approx 3 oz), chopped
- to taste Salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
- to taste Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
Instructions
Cook the pasta and save the “liquid gold”
- Bring a big pot of water to a confident boil and salt it well so it tastes like the sea. Drop in the linguine and cook it until just shy of al dente, because it will finish in the sauce.
- Before you drain anything, ladle out at least 1 cup of the cloudy, starchy pasta water. That starch is what helps the final sauce turn glossy and clingy instead of thin.
Build the garlicky wine base
- In a heavy-bottomed pot or French oven, melt the butter over medium heat until it looks foamy and smells sweet. Stir in the minced garlic and let it cook for 2 minutes, just until fragrant, never browned.
- Pour in the white wine and olive oil, then raise the heat to medium-high to high until it boils vigorously to create your white wine reduction base.
Steam the clams, then slip in the lobster
- Add the scrubbed clams, cover, and cook for 7-10 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice so they open evenly. As soon as they pop open, they are done, and any that stay tightly shut get discarded.
- During the last two minutes of that clam cooking time, add the chopped lobster tail pieces. They are ready when the meat turns opaque and feels firm, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Emulsify and finish like a restaurant
- Add the cooked linguine straight into the pot and toss so every strand is coated in the briny butter-wine sauce.
- Off the harsh heat, work in your Lemon-Anchovy Compound Butter and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously over medium heat until the sauce turns silky and glossy, then fold in parsley and finish with Parmigiano Reggiano before serving immediately.
Notes
Safety Tip: Always discard any clams that remain tightly closed after steaming, as they are not safe for consumption.
Chef's Secret: The secret to the restaurant finish is the reserved pasta water. Its starch acts as a natural binder that creates a silky emulsion between the fats and the wine.
Storage Tip: This dish is best served immediately. If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container for up to 2 days and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water to maintain texture.
Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.
Nutrition
Calories: 645kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 32gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 820mgPotassium: 410mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 12IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 145mgIron: 4.5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!