DALLAS - Avra Estiatorio, the Greek dining spot at The Crescent Hotel in Dallas, has a new lunch experience. It's designed to offer an elevated but approachable midday dining option featuring a three-course Prix fix menu.
Lobster Pasta!
Serves 2–3
• 8 oz linguine or spaghetti
• 8–10 oz cooked lobster meat, chopped into large pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 8–10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ cup seafood or lobster stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp butter
• ½ tsp salt, plus more for pasta water
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• Pinch of chili flakes (optional)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Fresh Basil for Garnish
• Optional: grated Parmesan for serving
Cook the pasta. Boil the linguine in well-salted water until just shy of al dente. Save about ½ cup of pasta water, then drain.
Start the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, oregano, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften.
Make it saucy. Stir in the tomato paste and seafood/lobster stock. Simmer for about 3–4 minutes.
Add the lobster. Gently stir in the cooked lobster and warm for about 1–2 minutes. Don’t overcook it or it can become tough.
Add the pasta. Toss the pasta into the skillet. Add the butter and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss everything together until the sauce coats the noodles.
Finish. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and parsley. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Serve. Twirl the pasta onto plates and place a few larger pieces of lobster on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil and garnish with Fresh Basil.
Shortcut: For an even easier version, skip the homemade sauce completely and use about 1½ cups of your favorite lobster bisque or creamy seafood sauce in place of the stock and tomato paste.