Lobster Pasta Recipe

A bowl of pasta in an orange cream sauce topped with bits of lobster and garnished with parsley.

5 from 2 votes

A delicious creamy lobster pasta with perfectly cooked pieces of lobster meat in an aromatic saffron wine sauce. Baking lobster tails ensure a tender result, while the shells permeate the sauce for even more lobster flavor. Finishing the dish with cold butter ensures a luxuriously glossy sauce.

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

Total Time1

Servings: servings

Calories: 804kcal

Author: Karishma Pradhan

Ingredients

For the lobster tails:

2 lobster tails about 5 - 7 ounces each
Salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon unsalted butter

For the lobster pasta:

6 ounces dried pasta such as bucatini or spaghetti | or 8 ounces fresh pasta, such as fettuccine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
2 garlic cloves finely minced
1 shallot finely minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
1/16 teaspoon saffron threads
½ cup heavy cream
Salt to taste
4 ounces cooked lobster meat and their shells* see recipe above | or use leftover meat
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or chopped chives

Instructions

Prep the Lobster: Preheat oven to 400°F. Use kitchen shears to carefully cut along the underside of 2 lobster tails, removing the bottom shell while leaving the top intact.
Place the tails on a baking sheet, season generously with salt and black pepper. Divide 1 teaspoon unsalted butter into 2 small pats and place on each tail. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the meat is firm and opaque (with an internal temperature of 140°F).
Cool slightly until you're able to handle them, then remove the meat from the shells and chop into bite-sized pieces. Reserve shells for the sauce.
Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt, then add 6 ounces dried pasta. Cook until just before al dente, and reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
Make the sauce: Meanwhile, set a large skillet over medium-low heat and melt 1 tablespoon butter. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into ½-inch pieces and place in the fridge to chill.
Once melted, sauté 2 garlic cloves and 1 shallot until fragrant and soft, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it caramelizes and deepens in color, about 2 - 3 minutes.
Simmer: Pour in ½ cup dry white wine, along with 1/16 teaspoon saffron threads and the reserved lobster shells.
Over medium heat, simmer and reduce the wine and saffron mixture until just a small amount of liquid remains at the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes.
Add the cream and emulsify: Reduce the heat to medium-low, then stir in ½ cup heavy cream, season with a good pinch of salt, and simmer until the sauce has thickened and transformed from light orange to bright orange, about 3 - 4 minutes.
Remove the lobster shells with tongs and discard. Add the chilled butter one piece at a time, stirring constantly to emulsify the sauce. This ensures a smooth and glossy texture.
Finish: Still over medium-low heat, toss in the cooked pasta. Cook for an additional 1 - 2 minutes until the sauce thickens further and clings nicely to the pasta. Add the reserved lobster meat back into the sauce, stirring gently until warmed through.
If desired, add a bit of reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season again with salt as needed.
Serve: Plate immediately and garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.

Notes

* For this recipe, I've included instructions on how I prepare lobster tails for the pasta. I also recommend reserving the shells for added flavor. However, you can also use leftover cooked meat (or pre-cooked meat from the grocery store). If so, you can omit the instructions for simmering the shells.

For even more seafood flavor, prepare the lobster and sauce up to step 4, then cool and refrigerate overnight to allow everything to marinate. Then, reheat the sauce and proceed with the rest of the recipe, adding the reserved lobster meat back into the sauce to warm it through.

Nutrition