What do you think I do on my lunch breaks at the office? That’s right, I watch the Food Network. And if you haven’t already guessed it, my favorite Food Network Star is Giada De Laurentiis, who is my spirit animal as well. I’ve reviewed her restaurant and another recipe of hers, but it’s been awhile so I figured it’s time for another.
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Back during December, there was a “Holiday” episode of Giada at Home in which she cooked this Creamy Linguine with Lobster and Bacon.
I can’t even.
I mean, hello, just listen to the name of the recipe. Watching it cooked on the screen was torture for my colleague friends and I. The sight of it inspired a deep need for it within us.
Said Johnny and friends to the pasta.
Still, I didn’t see what made it traditionally “Holidayish”. But when Valentine’s Day came around, I thought it would make the perfect V-Day dinner! In my mind, shellfish and pasta are staples for a special Valentine’s Day dinner, and the addition of bacon makes everything much more romantic.
Valentine’s Day = Food!
Of course, I am single – and Whole on My Own – and so is my mother and sister, so we had ourselves our own little fancy Valentine’s Dinner where we enjoyed this fantabulous recipe, along with a Kale and Roasted Beet Salad and some Prosecco.
After cooking the meal and taking my first twirl and bite, I knew it was a keeper. HOLY HELL PEOPLE!
My reaction after the first bite basically.
Tender sweet lobster, salty smoky bacon, delightful linguine noodles, rich tomato cream sauce, fresh herbs and peas, and of course, heavenly Parmesan cheese; this dish has everything going for it! All the flavors and textures play off each other perfectly. It is a luxurious and sensual dish. And though it sounds indulgent because of the cream and bacon, a moderate sized portion of this was actually just the right amount, no one felt weighed down or bloated, but perfectly satisfied. Remember people – moderation!
The recipe is pretty easy to follow. Giada has labeled the difficulty as “Intermediate”. That’s just because you do have to do quite a few things at once, and once you start there is no stopping, so you have to be prepared. Plus, if you buy a whole cooked lobster or two, you have to break open its shell which is no easy feat.
Basically the effort it takes to break open lobster. Damn those spikes!
My advice is to do all the prep work before you start the cooking. Chop all the vegetables and herbs, have the tomato and cream measured out, have the lobster meat cut up into chunks and set aside in a bowl, and have everything readily assessable. This way, once you start, you’ve got everything you need to execute.
Prepare everything ahead of time and lay it out.
I cut the ingredient portions in half because I was only cooking for 3 people while Giada originally intended the recipe for 6, but you could easily double this recipe or modify it for your friends and family as needed.
At any rate, you should absolutely 100% make this dish when you are feeling a little bit ritzy! Enjoy!
Also, here is a video of my lobster singing “Under the Sea”.
Johnny La Pasta 