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1
Fill an 8-quart pot three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil.
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2
Plunge 2 lobsters headfirst into water and boil, covered, 3 minutes.
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3
Transfer with tongs to a colander to cool.
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4
Repeat with remaining 2 lobsters in same manner.
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5
When lobster is cool enough to handle, remove meat from shells, catching juices in a separate bowl.
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6
Add shells to bowl with juices.
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7
Cut meat into 1-inch pieces and chill lobster, covered.
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8
Stir together wine and saffron and let mixture steep 10 minutes.
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9
Bring wine mixture, 14 cups water, and lobster shells with juices to a boil in 8-quart pot.
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10
Boil until liquid is reduced to about 8 cups, about 1 hour.
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11
Line a sieve with cheesecloth and set over a bowl.
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12
Pour stock through sieve, then discard solids.
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13
While stock reduces, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy skillet over low heat until hot, then cook onion with bay leaf until onion is very soft and browned, about 45 minutes.
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14
Add tomatoes and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until sofregit is very thick, about 15 minutes.
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15
Discard bay leaf.
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16
Preheat oven to 400F.
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17
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a cassola or an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pasta in 4 batches, stirring, until golden brown.
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18
Transfer pasta to a bowl as browned and add an additional tablespoon oil for each batch.
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19
When all of pasta is browned, return to pan and stir in sofregit and 4 cups stock (if using a cassola, use 4Bops stock; your need more liquid because of the dish's straight sides).
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20
Reserve remaining stock for another use.
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21
Bring pasta mixture to a simmer, then continue to simmer, covered, 4 minutes.
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22
Stir in reserved lobster and season with salt and pepper.
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23
Transfer pan, uncovered, to middle of oven and bake 10 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and top of pasta is crisp.
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24
Stir in parsley.
