The Way Life Should Be

 

I really wish I had kept the original New York Times article that this recipe is based on. It went something along these lines: the writer had a summer house somewhere in New England, probably Maine, and had lots of summertime houseguests, many of whom had their hearts set on a lobster dinner. So they had many a suppertime filled with lobsters being boiled and cracked, with all the stuff that goes with that (pieces of errant shell flying all over the place, lobster juice drenching everything, etc, etc.). And the point of the article was, wouldn't life be wonderful if you could make a meal that included all of the lazy, delicious, summertime taste of lobster without all the shell-cracking, juice-flying, sticky drama?

At least I think that is how it went. It's been a while, and my brain isn't what it used to be.

In any event, I did keep the recipe, which is wonderfully and perfectly entitled "The Way Life Should Be." And when it comes to eating lobster, the way life should be is that the lobster is out of the shell, cut or torn into delectable bite-sized pieces, and marinated in a glorious bath of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, chopped garlic and a heaping amount of chopped up fresh mint, parsley and basil. (Very Important Note: the original recipe says these herbs are optional. They are NOT. They are MANDATORY. Otherwise the recipe is automatically retitled, "The Way Life Kinda Should Be.")

Anyway. You leave the lobster in this lovely marinade for 60 minutes, then you cook up some spaghetti, drain it, put in in a bowl and pour the whole lemony, lobstery, herby, garlicky concoction over the pasta. Toss it around a little and there you have it -- a summery lobster dinner that smells incredible and tastes even better.

We had this for dinner a few days ago, and it was a work day for me. When I got home, my hearthrob of a Southern husband had already put the lobster into the marinade and it was waiting on the kitchen counter. The kitchen smelled incredible -- all mint and basil and lemon and garlic and lobster -- and all I had to do was make the pasta, mix it up and not mess up the picture.

Now THAT is the way life should be.

THE WAY LIFE SHOULD BE, adapted from The New York Times

Six lobsters, cooked, shelled and chopped into bite size pieces

1/3 cup lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 minced garlic cloves

1/4 cup chopped parsley and basil

1/4 cup mint

Pinch of salt

1 pound cooked spaghetti

1. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, herbs and salt. Add lobster and let sit at room temperature for an hour.

2. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and return to pot. Pour lobster mixture onto pasta and toss.

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