Every Saturday, sometimes Sunday, never on Monday, I go grocery shopping.

I have a yoga friend, a yogi, I guess, who works at the grocery store; I am far away from being a dedicated yogi—in fact, you might was well think of me as Yogi Bear—I certainly have the stomach to mimic the adorable cartoon from enjoying ice cream every night.

Today, my yoga friend is not working; she is grocery shopping.

“Bruce,” she says, “I am right behind you.”

“Wow,” I say, “You shop here on your day off?”

“So many of us do,” she says. “Have you and Susan been to yoga? I went a few days ago. There were only a few people in the class.”

“We haven’t gone as we have been so busy gardening and doing yard work. It seems to be never ending during the months of June, July and August.”

“Is that lobster I see you are buying?”

“Yes. Susan and I usually go out at least once during the summer for a lobster roll, but we haven’t yet. I thought I would surprise her today and make us homemade lobster rolls–with chips, of course. And have lobster for dinner, too.”

The best part having some lobster leftover is this spicy lobster pasta I made that night for dinner, which included cheery tomatoes and basil from our garden.

Ingredients

• 9 ounces linguine (I have recently been buying fresh pasta from O’Sole Mio.)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 shallots thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves smashed
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 cups lobster cooked meat
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup basil leaves roughly torn

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving ¼ cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shallot and garlic until the shallot is translucent, 3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and have released their juices. Stir in the tomato paste and season with ½ teaspoon salt and red pepper flakes. Cook for one minute more. Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Carefully fold in the lobster meat and butter (if using). If beginning with cooked lobster, remove from the heat.
• Add the reserved pasta and pasta water to the pan and toss to combine. Transfer the spicy lobster pasta to a platter (or serve directly from the skillet) and top with the basil.

Based on a recipe from Feed Me Phoebe.