Creamy lobster pasta you can make at home

By Susan M. Selasky/Detroit Free Press

Looking for a terrific home-cooked meal? With just a little planning, this Lobster and Shrimp Pasta with Sherry Tomato Cream can be whipped up in no time. Most of the ingredients, such as canned crushed tomatoes and pasta, are pantry staples. The stars are lobster and shrimp.

You will find lobster tails, fresh or frozen, for about $6- $7 apiece at many area stores. The y don't yield a huge amount of meat, so I included shrimp as well.

This dish came to mind because I had some lobster tails and shrimp tucked away in the freezer. They are good items to have on hand for a quick meal that nevertheless looks very special.

Other than cooking the pasta, this is a one-skillet meal. The lobster and shrimp are lightly sauteed in butter, then covered and steamed in their own juices. Cooking them in their shells helps prevent them from drying out.

The rest of the ingredients are tossed in the same skillet to finish the dish.

I often opt for cream sauces with pasta dishes - I just can't resist. The trouble is, those sauces are loaded with fat and calories. And what's the next big temptation? Taking a piece of bread and sopping up all that sauce!

But like everyone else, I like to splurge once in a while, and Valentine's Day is certainly splurge-worthy.

In this recipe, I only use 1/2 cup of heavy cream . It's just enough to give the sauce a silky texture and rich taste. (Whether it's labeled “heavy cream” or “heaving whipping cream,” it's all the same.)

Milk fat allows cream to whip properly and adds richness to sauces, soups and other dishes. Most heavy cream products have 36% or more milk fat . For cream to whip properly for desserts, it needs a milk fat content of 30%.

In addition to the mushrooms and peppers, you can add asparagus or zucchini to this dish to boost up the veggie content.

R ound out this meal with a nice big salad of peppery arugula and some crusty whole-grain bread.

Lobster and Shrimp Pasta with Sherry Tomato Cream

Serves: 2 (generously) / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 45 minutes

4 ounces favorite dried short pasta, such as penne

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 lobster tails (about 5 ounces each) in shells

6 large shrimp in shells

1 shallot, peeled, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped

1/4 pound sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper

Good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup crushed canned tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Chopped chives or parsley or both for garnish

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the lobster tails and cook just until spots on their shells start to turn red, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add shrimp and cover, reduce the heat to low and cook about 5 minutes. Remove the lobster and shrimp from the skillet. When cool, remove lobster meat from shell and cut into large chunks. Remove shrimp from shells and leave whole.

Meanwhile, in the same skillet, add the shallot and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, pepper and pepper flakes. Saute about 5 minutes or until mushrooms release their juices.

Deglaze the skillet with the sherry. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and heat gently. Stir in the cream and cheese and heat through. If the sauce is too thick, thin with some of the reserved pasta water. Add the lobster, shrimp and cooked pasta and heat through. Transfer to individual serving bowls and garnish with chives or parsley. Serve immediately.

From and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

595 calories (38 % from fat ), 24 grams fat (14 grams sat. fat ), 57 grams carbohydrates , 31 grams protein , 696 mg sodium , 143 mg cholesterol , 5 grams fiber .