Lobster Pasta Recipe
This Lobster Pasta Recipe is a 10 ingredient restaurant-quality pasta that’s easy to make yet decadent with every bite. Make it for a date night or a dinner party, it’s a recipe your loved ones will remember.
Reader Review: “This was so good! I used milk instead of heavy cream because that is what I had. I also added chopped spinach. Super easy and quick. Thanks for the recipe!” – Alicia
Dive into a bowl of this Lobster Pasta where buttery lobster meets a creamy tomato sauce, all tossed with delicious noodles. It’s the ultimate comfort food made in 30 minutes with a fancy twist.
The secret to making this lobster pasta so good is that we boil the lobster tails and pasta in the same water, and then use that flavorful liquid to emulsify the tomato sauce. Trust me it makes a difference! I’ve tested several other versions without doing this and the flavor isn’t as strong.
I love serving this pasta for date nights at home or when you just want to treat yourself or your family to something special. Why go out when you can bring a restaurant meal right to your table? It’s a fancy recipe that’s made affordable when you make it yourself. If you love pasta, my Carbonara Rigatoni and Seafood Linguine are two other recipes to try.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Restaurant-quality pasta recipe right at home. Forget getting dressed up and paying for an expensive meal out, when you can make this decadent lobster pasta recipe affordably right at home.
- 10 ingredient pasta. With just a handful of the freshest ingredients as well as pantry staples, this lobster pasta comes together in 30 minutes.
- Comfort food the whole family will love. This is a dish for impressing family and friends. No matter your cooking skill, it’s easy to make with our tips and instructions.
Jenn’s Tip: We prefer buying fresh lobster tails from the fish counter the day we’re going to make the recipe. But you can also buy frozen and thaw them in the fridge overnight before cooking.
Ingredients
- Lobster tails: Look for tails that are 6 ounces each in size. We prefer fresh for ease, but you can buy frozen and thaw them completely prior to cooking.
- Spaghetti: We always have some in our pantry. You could also use bucatini or linguine.
- Canned Italian cherry tomatoes: These have so much flavor and are the base to the sauce.
- Shallots: Adds a hint of onion sweetness to the base of the recipe.
- Garlic: Infuses the sauce with that signature Italian flavor.
- Calabrian chili pepper: This is optional, but if you like spice, then definitely add.
- White wine: Wine is used to deglaze the pan and adds a layer of flavor that is so rich to the creamy lobster sauce.
- Heavy whipping cream: The key ingredient to making the pasta creamy. You can use half and half for a lighter option.
- Fresh tarragon: Adds fresh licorice flavor that pairs with the lobster meat so well.
- Fresh basil: We can never forget the basil, it’s the signature fresh flavor that rounds out the whole recipe.
- Extra-virgin Olive oil: Cooking oil for the pasta, be sure to buy a high-quality brand, it makes a difference.
How to Make this Lobster Pasta Recipe
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the lobster tails and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the shells are bright red and the meat is just opaque. Remove the lobster tails and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Return the same pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, remove the lobster meat from the shells and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Season lightly with a pinch of kosher salt. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Stir in the Calabrian chili paste, then pour in the white wine. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing the wine to reduce by about half.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, gently breaking them apart with the back of a spoon. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Season with kosher salt and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy whipping cream until smooth and combined.
- Add the lobster meat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just until warmed through. Add the drained pasta and toss until evenly coated, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce is silky and coats the pasta.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil and tarragon. Taste and season with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Be cautious not to overcook the lobster. This will make it rubbery, follow the cooking instructions and look for the lobster to turn bright red and opaque. This is when you know it’s finished cooking.
- Cook the pasta to al dente. This means the pasta will have a little bit of chew but will not be mushy. Follow the box instructions for the al dente cook time.
- Reserve some starchy pasta water to bind the sauce to the noodles. This is the most important technique in cooking authentic Italian pasta. The starchy pasta water binds the tomato sauce and the noodles together and also seasons the whole recipe with delicious salty, lobster flavor.
- Add the cream at the end. It’s the last ingredient for the sauce. If the cream is added too early, you risk having it curdle and ‘breaking’ the sauce.
- Don’t skip boiling the pasta in the same liquid as the you cooked the lobster.
Storage
Store any creamy lobster pasta leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop in a skillet or in the microwave for a couple of minutes until just warmed through. You don’t want to overcook the pasta or the lobster.
We don’t recommend freezing this recipe as it will change the texture.
FAQs
Don’t over cook it. Once you have finished cooking the lobster, you can submerge it in ice water if desired to stop the cooking.
Add the heavy cream right at the end and only simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until it’s just combined.
Yes, we recommend freshly grated parmesan as the best choice to garnish at the end.
Shrimp or even fresh jumbo lump crabmeat works great.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
- Pasta e Piselli (pasta and peas)
- Smoked Salmon Pasta
- Homemade Pasta Dough
- Baked Rigatoni and Sausage
Lobster Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- Large Pot
- large skillet
Ingredients
- (3) 6-ounce lobster tails
- 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine
- (1) 16-ounce can Italian cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium shallot finely diced
- 1 garlic clove peeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste optional
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the lobster tails and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the shells are bright red and the meat is just opaque. Remove the lobster tails and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Return the same pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, remove the lobster meat from the shells and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Season lightly with a pinch of kosher salt. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Stir in the Calabrian chili paste, then pour in the white wine. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing the wine to reduce by about half.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, gently breaking them apart with the back of a spoon. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with kosher salt and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy whipping cream until smooth and combined.
- Add the lobster meat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just until warmed through. Add the drained pasta and toss until evenly coated, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce is silky and coats the pasta.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil and tarragon. Taste and season with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
-
- Be cautious not to overcook the lobster. This will make it rubbery, follow the cooking instructions and look for the lobster to turn bright red and opaque. This is when you know it’s finished cooking.
-
- Cook the pasta to al dente. This means the pasta will have a little bit of chew but will not be mushy. Follow the box instructions for the al dente cook time.
-
- Reserve some starchy pasta water to bind the sauce to the noodles. This is the most important technique in cooking authentic Italian pasta. The starchy pasta water binds the tomato sauce and the noodles together and also seasons the whole recipe with delicious salty, lobster flavor.
-
- Add the cream at the end. It’s the last ingredient for the sauce. If the cream is added too early, you risk having it curdle and ‘breaking’ the sauce.
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This was so good! I used milk instead of heavy cream because that is what I had. I also added chopped spinach. Super easy and quick. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Alicia, I’m so happy you loved it — and I love those swaps! Milk works great in a pinch, and adding spinach is such a smart way to sneak in some extra greens. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!