Broiled Florida Spiny Lobster Tails with Pesto Pasta and Tomato-Basil Relish

Make a meal out of the catch with a fresh, homemade pesto sauce.

Broiled Florida Spiny Lobster Tails with Pesto Pasta and Tomato-Basil Relish

Yields 4 servings

• 4 6- to 9-oz. spiny lobster tails, split open in shell
• 1/4 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• Sea salt to taste
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven broiler on medium-high. Place all four of the lobsters on a cookie sheet, and make sure they are opened up down the middle. Evenly spread the softened butter over each of the lobster tails meat.
2. Lightly season each lobster tail with salt and pepper. Place lobsters in the oven on the middle rack under the broiler. Let lobster cook under the broiler for about 7 minutes or until just barely cooked throughout. Remove lobsters from oven and let cool slightly.
3. Serve lobster tails warm with fresh lemon.

Florida Basil Pesto Pasta

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tsp. fresh garlic, sliced
• Sea salt to taste
• Fresh gournd pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 lb. fresh or dried pasta, cooked according to packaging

Method:

1. Place all ingredients except oil in a food processor or blender. Process the ingredients until smooth. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil to make desired consistency.
2. Taste and season the pesto with salt and pepper to taste. Toss half of the pesto with the cooked pasta and stir lightly to evenly combine.
3. Taste and add more pesto if desired.

Florida Tomato-Basil Relish

• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 2 large tomatoes
• 4 large clove garlic, minced fine
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbs. red wine vinegar

Method:

1. Preheat a medium-sized sauté pan over medium heat.  Add tomatoes and garlic. Sauté until tomatoes soften, about 3 minutes. Add Basil and vinegar. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
2. To serve completed dish, place a broiled lobster on each of the four serving plates. Evenly distribute the pesto pasta onto each plate. Top each serving of pesto pasta with and evenly distributed amount of tomato-basil relish.
3. Garnish each plate with fresh lemon and any leftover basil leaves.

For more Florida spiny lobster recipes, click here.

The official Chef of Florida, Justin Timineri, shares some of his recipes with us. A proponent of eating healthy, locally-grown and harvested produce and seafood, Timineri’s recipes imbue that Fresh From Florida flavor. For more on chef Justin, click here.

   Recipes and images courtesy of Chef Justin Timineri and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. For more recipes coming from Timineri’s kitchen, click here.