This dish is prepared in a manner contrary to the way I usually construct sauces. I usually build them in one pan, combining the juices of the various elements to increase complexity and concentrate flavor. By preparing each element separately, this recipe is able to highlight freshness and simplicity – the sauce is marked by intense experiences of each component, rather than a complex blending of all of them. This is one of the few instances where I advocate the use of truffle oil. It’s a good thing to have on hand, but easy to get carried away with. Many people (both at home and in restaurants) use it as a back door to making their dish seem more expensive, high class, or “gourmet” (one iron-clad rule: if someone who is selling you food uses the term “gourmet”, run). The truffle flavor is so assertive that many dishes end up tasting the same; it overwhelms individual characteristics and ends up being more annoying than delightful. And besides, the flavor, when compared to the depth and richness of fresh truffles, is shocking. (I feel the same way, if not more so, about canned truffles, especially in restaurants.) Still, truffle oil has its place and can be used to delicately accent certain things like this dish. If you’re going to use truffle oil, you may as well use the more expensive white truffle oil.
A robust pasta, like cavatelli (my favorite) or orchiette works best for this dish, and fresh pasta is far superior.
Ingredients:
- Meat of 2-1 ¼-pound lobsters
- 1 pint of heavy cream
- 1 lb of cavatelli, or equivalent amount fresh
- 8 oz frozen peas
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp truffle oil
Directions:
Begin by placing the cream into a small sauce pan and bringing to a boil. Watch it carefully – when it comes to a boil it will probably boil over. Whisk it vigorously to avoid this. Reduce the cream by half, whisking every 5 mins or so and watching it to make sure that it doesn’t boil over. This will thicken the cream significantly but it will not lose its color.
While the cream is reducing, steam the lobsters (I have covered this elsewhere in the collection) and remove the meat. Chop it into ¾-inch chunks and reserve. You can do this well ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator.
When the cream is done, reduce the heat to a simmer to keep hot, but be careful not to reduce it too much further. Cook the pasta. When it is about 30 seconds from done, add the lobster to the cream to warm it through and the peas to the pasta. Drain the pasta when it is finished and toss everything together to thoroughly combine, adding salt, pepper, and the truffle oil before you do so.
Serve, if you must, with parmiggiano reggiano – but it shouldn’t really be necessary.
The Grumpy Gastronome 
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