When you crave the sweet, rich taste of lobster, but don’t want to shell out the dough (or maybe you live nowhere near a fresh lobster source), I’ve got the perfect solution.

Fake lobster.

It’s not really fake lobster, of course, just what I like to call it. Officially called “Imitation lobster” it is a mix of Alaska Pollock, lobster meat and trace amounts of lobster, crab, cuttlefish, salmon, anchovy, scallops, and fish. Plus a few binders and seasonings, like tapioca, soy and milk, salt, paprika and sugar.

Fake lobster is an inexpensive way to add seafood to your weekly meal plan. At $5 per pound, or $2.50 per eight ounce packet (which is what you need for my Lobster Primavera recipe), it’s not rocket science to see the value of fake lobster.

More awesome add-on’s: a one half cup serving of fake lobster has 80 calories, 0 fat, 100 mg Omega 3’s and 8 grams of protein.

The fake lobster I bought at Walmart is also endorsed by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, the trustworthy marketing arm of Alaska for sustainable seafood products. If it is okay by ASMI, it is okay by me.

In fact, I bought this product specifically because the ASMI label was on the package and I live nowhere near a fresh lobster source.

For my Lobster Primavera recipe, I adapted one of the recipes from the back of the fake lobster package, meaning, I switched up more than three ingredients and changed the method of preparation.

Adding fake lobster to a standard pasta primavera elevates this everyday mid-week recipe to a I wish I’d made more, I could eat this everyday meal.

Disclaimer: ASMI did not ask me to promote or endorse this product, nor is this a sponsored post for this product or ASMI.

Ready to cook?

Lobster Primavera
Serves four

• One pound of pasta
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Dash of garlic powder or one fresh clove, peeled and crushed
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• One package (eight ounces) fake lobster chunks
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup broccoli florets, steamed for one minute in microwave in a few tablespoons water, drained
• ½ cup low sodium chicken stock, heated
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon
• 1 green onion, green only, chopped
• Kosher salt
• Cracked black pepper

1. Make one pound of pasta according to package directions. Reserve one cup of the salted, starchy, hot water before draining. Do not rinse pasta.
2. In a large stock pan, heat olive oil on medium heat (about two minutes. Oil should shimmer.
3. Add a dash of garlic powder (or the fresh clove), then add the pine nuts. Stir and let the nuts brown, about three to four minutes. If you use the crushed clove, remove it now.
4. Add the fake lobster and stir to coat, careful not to break up the chunks.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and pre-cooked broccoli. Stir.
6. Add the cooked pasta and half of the chicken stock. Stir to combine.
7. Add the cheeses, a little at a time, stirring as you go. You may need to add a little of the pasta water at this point to help melt the cheese and break up any lumps.
8. The pasta should have a glossy finish to it. Add more chicken stock if needed.
9. Sprinkle the tarragon over the top. Stir gently, again, careful not to break up the pasta or the fake lobster.
10. Taste and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
11. Ladle pasta into bowls, garnish with chopped green onion, and a little grated Parmesan if desired.
12. Serve immediately.

Appetite required.

Like this recipe? Sign up to have my posts delivered to your inbox because CSS is so yesterday. Or follow me on Twitter @seafoodladyorl. I will be tweeting live from Monterey Bay Aquarium at its Cooking for Solutions event later this week. Message me if you will me there too.

(I promise not to spam you, bombard you with messages or sell your email address.)

Thanks,

See you next week.