The Weeknight Table

Produce

• 1 large lemon, zested
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Seafood

• 2 cold-water lobster tails, split in half lengthwise
• 1 pound cooked lobster meat, chopped into large chunks

Dairy

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter

Pantry

• 1 pound linguine
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt, to taste

Alcohol

• ¼ cup bourbon
• ½ cup dry white wine

Instructions

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the linguine until just shy of al dente. During the final two minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets directly to the pasta water. Drain and reserve one cup of pasta water.

Season the split lobster tails with kosher salt, black pepper, and a light dusting of onion powder. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add two tablespoons of butter. Place the lobster tails flesh-side down and cook until lightly golden. Flip them over and carefully add the bourbon. Allow the alcohol to cook off while spooning the buttery bourbon glaze over the lobster. Remove the tails and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining butter. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about thirty seconds until fragrant. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce by about half.

Add the heavy cream, chicken bouillon powder, onion powder, white pepper, black pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for three to five minutes until slightly thickened.

Whisk in the Parmesan cheese until smooth. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water.

Fold in the chopped lobster meat and allow it to warm through gently. Add the linguine and broccoli and toss until everything is coated in the lemon-Parmesan cream sauce.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving platter or shallow bowl. Arrange the bourbon-seared lobster tails over the top. Finish with chopped parsley, additional lemon zest, and a few cracks of black pepper.