Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the lobster and cook for 5 minutes, until cooked all the way through. Remove and set aside to cool. Once manageable, slice the lobster in half lengthways and carefully extract all the meat from the claws, legs and tail. Set the meat aside. Keep the shells.

2. Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a large, wide pan over high heat. Add the lobster shells and cook until they start to char and take on a deep, roasted colour.

3. Turn the heat down slightly and add the sliced shallots, chilli, celery, the halved garlic bulb (cut side down), and a few sprigs of basil. Let everything fry together for a few minutes until soft and fragrant.

4. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the flavour from the bottom. Let it bubble for a minute or two, then add the tinned tomatoes and about 200ml of water. Season lightly with salt.

5. Simmer the sauce gently for 1.5–2 hours, uncovered, topping up with a little water if it gets too thick. You're aiming for a deeply flavoured, slightly loose broth.

6. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean pan, pressing down hard to extract every last drop of flavour. Return to the heat and simmer until the liquid reduces to a sauce consistency—thick enough to coat pasta but still loose.

7. Add the dried linguine straight into the sauce and let it cook slowly, stirring often and adding splashes of hot water as needed until the pasta is al dente and has soaked up all that lobster flavour.

8. Once the pasta is cooked, gently fold the lobster meat back through just to warm it up. Serve straight into warm bowls, top with a fresh basil leaf, and drizzle with good olive oil if you like.