Lobster Sambuca Over Fettuccine

Halloween again and I barely noticed because my mind is split between the wedding and Puerto Rico and the daily business of running a hospital kitchen. Eduardo put out candy corn on the counter and I ate three pieces without registering what I was eating, which tells you how distracted I am because under normal circumstances I would never eat candy corn voluntarily. Under normal circumstances I would lecture Eduardo about candy corn being the culinary equivalent of packing peanuts. But these are not normal circumstances. These are the circumstances where your island was destroyed six weeks ago and your firstborn is getting married in two weeks and your mother has no roof and you are eating candy corn at 11 PM and questioning every decision that led you to this moment.

Sofia went to a Halloween party. She dressed as a doctor — scrubs, stethoscope, the whole thing. My daughter, dressing as a healthcare worker for Halloween. This is either a sign that she is committed to her nursing path or a sign that she wanted a low-effort costume, and knowing Sofia it is probably both. She looked adorable. I took photos. She said MAMI. I took more photos.

At work, the November prep is underway. Thanksgiving is three weeks after the wedding, which means I have two massive cooking events in the span of four weeks, which is the kind of schedule that would intimidate a normal person but which I consider a gift because busy Carmen is functional Carmen and functional Carmen does not sit on the kitchen floor at 3 AM thinking about blue tarps on roofs in Bayamon. Busy Carmen cooks. Busy Carmen plans menus and orders produce and trains staff and counts trays. Busy Carmen survives.

Rosa called. She and Carlos are helping with wedding setup. She asked me if I am okay. I said, I am fine, Rosa. She said, Mami, you say you are fine when you are not fine. I said, I am fine enough. Fine enough is the best I can offer right now. Fine enough is what you get when the joy and the grief share an apartment and neither one will move out. She said, I love you, Mami. I said, I know, mija. Make sure Carlos wears a tie to the wedding. He is meeting the entire Delgado family and first impressions require a tie.

Made a quick caldo santo tonight — a Holy Week soup that I make out of season sometimes when I need the comfort of something ancient and simple. Fish broth, root vegetables, nothing fancy. The kind of food that existed before electricity and will exist after. The kind of food that survives hurricanes because it does not need a roof. It just needs a pot and a flame and a woman who will not stop stirring. That woman is me. She has always been me.

Caldo santo got me through the night, but the next evening I wanted something that felt a little more like celebration — because fine enough has to coexist with joy sometimes, and a wedding is coming whether I am ready or not. Lobster sambuca over fettuccine is the dish I make when I need to honor both grief and abundance at the same time: the sea, the anise, the richness of cream pulling everything together into something whole. It is not a hurricane-proof soup. It requires electricity and a good pan and a little bit of theater. But it reminds me that there is still beauty to cook toward, and that is enough to keep me stirring.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz fettuccine
2 lobster tails (6–8 oz each), shells removed, meat cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots, finely minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup sambuca (anise-flavored liqueur)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
Zest of 1 lemon
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. Set pasta aside.
Sear the lobster. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter with the olive oil. Add lobster pieces in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook 1–2 minutes per side until just opaque and lightly golden. Remove lobster to a plate and set aside — do not overcook.
Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the same skillet. Add shallots and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Deglaze with sambuca. Carefully pour in the sambuca — it may briefly flame if your pan is very hot. Let the alcohol cook off for about 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Add white wine and simmer for 2 minutes until reduced by half.
Add the cream. Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add lemon zest and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Combine and finish. Return the lobster to the pan and stir gently to coat. Add the drained fettuccine and toss everything together over low heat, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time if the sauce needs loosening. Fold in parsley and tarragon.
Serve immediately. Divide among warm bowls and finish with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and an extra pinch of red pepper flakes if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Lobster Sambuca Over Fettuccine — When the Sea Brings You Back to Yourself