This Creamy Lobster Pasta combines the elegance of lobster, the comfort of creamy sauce, and the zing of garlic, herbs, and lemon; all stirred through a tangle of perfectly cooked spaghetti.
You can buy cooked lobster (or crayfish as they are called in Australia) at larger grocery stores, and this simple recipe transforms them into a decadent and mouthwatering pasta dinner.
Lobster has this way of making any meal feel special. And when you add a creamy sauce, you're practically in food heaven. This isn't just a recipe; it's an invitation to create a memorable date night with a restaurant-quality dish. But here's the secret: it's quick, it's easy, and it's guaranteed to impress!
Ingredient Notes
These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients; for a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.
Cooked lobster: You can buy whole-cooked lobsters in the grocery store. These are perfect for this dish. Keep the heads and shells as they flavor the sauce. If you have lobster meat without the shell, you can still make the dish, but see the broth notes for tips on adding more lobster flavor.
Broth: I recommend shrimp/seafood/fish broth for the sauce, but chicken or vegetable is a great alternative. The shrimp/seafood broth is the better option if you don't have shells. Alternatively, you can also boost the lobster flavor of vegetable broth with some lobster Better than Bouillon.
Tarragon: The perfect herb for seafood; you can find it in larger grocery stores and plenty of independent grocers. You can replace it with thyme, chervil, or basil if you can't find it.
Red Pepper Flakes: You can add more or less of these, depending on your preference. A pinch adds a background warmth without any fire.
Heavy cream: This is the basis of the sauce; half and half isn't thick enough and will leave you with a thin sauce.
Lemon: The recipe uses the zest of the lemon, and then you serve the pasta with some lemon wedges.
Parmesan: It is best to buy a block of parmesan and grate it yourself. It will melt much more smoothly into the sauce.
Recipe Tips
We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you, have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!
- You'll use the shells to add flavor when making the lobster sauce. They get fried in olive oil and then simmered in broth to extract as much flavor as possible. The resulting broth is then reduced to concentrate the flavors. If you don't have shells, skip the simmering steps and jump straight to the reducing your broth step.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of well-salted water; this ensures the finished dish is well-seasoned and flavorful. The recipe suggests ½ tablespoon salt for ½ pound of pasta.
- Before draining the pasta, reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water. This helps to thicken the sauce and ensures it clings to the pasta well. You will probably only need ¼-½ a cup, but better to reserve too much than too little.
- When you add the lobster to the cream, stir gently so you don't break the chunks apart.
- Add the parmesan gradually to the sauce so it has a chance to melt smoothly.
Why You'll Love This Creamy Lobster Pasta
- It's an elegant restaurant-style dish that you can make at home.
- It is impressive yet totally doable, even if you're not a kitchen whiz.
- It makes a great date night dinner or dinner party main course.
Recipe Adaptions
These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.
- Switch the pasta: While spaghetti or linguine would be my choice, it also works well with a dense pasta shape like orecchiette or casarecce.
- Add some veg: Add some green to the dish with baby spinach, asparagus spears, or a cup of baby peas.
- Add extra seafood: If you have a small lobster or want to stretch the servings, you can add some cooked shrimp to the sauce.
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Serving Suggestions For Creamy Lobster Pasta
Sides: This rich, elegant dish needs little more than a green side salad and some crusty bread. Alternatively, add a side of steamed asparagus or green beans.
Wines: Creamy lobster is perfect for serving with a Chardonnay. You can pick a buttery, oaky one or a crisp, fruity chardonnay. Both will work wonderfully. As would a White Burgandy. Prosecco is always a great choice, and bubbles and lobster say date night to me.
Enjoy x
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Get the Recipe
Creamy Lobster Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 cooked lobster/crayfish around (1½lb/680g (see note 1)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion , roughly chopped
- 1 rib celery , roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs tarragon (see note 2)
- 2 cup low sodium broth (see note 3)
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ½ lb spaghetti
- ½ tablespoon salt
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- black pepper for garnish
- parmesan for garnish
Instructions
To make the lobster sauce
- See note 3&4 if you have lobster meat and no shells.
- Remove the tail meat from the lobster/crayfish and cut it into small bite-sized chunks. Set to one side until you have made the pasta.1 cooked lobster/crayfish
- Break the shell/head into chunks (don't throw out the tomalley from the lobster head, add that to the pan)
- Add the olive oil to a large deep saute pan (or saucepan); once shimmering, add the shells and head and fry over medium-low heat until aromatic and the oil is a rich orange color.3 tablespoon olive oil
- Use your spatula to push and squish the hard shells, getting plenty of roasted color on them.
- Add the onion, celery and cook for 3 minutes.1 onion1 rib celery
- Add the garlic and tarragon, cook for 30 seconds, then immediately add the broth/stock and simmer gently for 20 minutes.3 cloves garlic2 sprigs tarragon2 cup low sodium broth
- Strain the stock well and boil to reduce to about 1 cup of liquid. (see note 5)
- Add the heavy cream to the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer on the lowest heat for 10 minutes while the pasta cooks.1½ cups heavy cream
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the salt and the pasta, and cook for 1 minute less than the packet suggests. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.½ tablespoon salt½ lb spaghetti
To finish the dish
- Still over low heat, add the cooked pasta, chopped lobster meat, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest to the pasta sauce and stir to combine gently.pinch crushed red pepper flakes1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Add the parmesan to the sauce gradually, stirring gently to allow it to melt in the sauce.½ cup grated parmesan
- Add around ¼ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and gently turn the pasta around in the sauce until the lobster has warmed through and the pasta is perfectly cooked. Add more pasta water as needed.
- Taste and add salt if needed.
- Serve garnished with chopped chives, black pepper, and additional parmesan.1 tablespoon chopped chivesblack pepperparmesan
Notes
- You can buy whole-cooked lobsters in the grocery store. These are perfect for this dish. Keep the heads and shells as they flavor the sauce. If you have lobster meat without the shell, you can still make the dish, but see the broth notes for tips on adding more lobster flavor.
- You can find tarragon in larger grocery stores and plenty of independent grocers. You can replace it with thyme, chervil, or basil if you can't find it.
- I recommend shrimp/seafood/fish broth for the sauce, but chicken or vegetable is a great alternative. The shrimp/seafood broth is the better option if you don't have shells. Alternatively, you can also boost the lobster flavor of vegetable broth with some lobster better than bouillon.
- If you don't have shells, skip the simmering steps and jump straight to the reducing your broth step.
- Reducing the broth down to 1 cup is for 2 servings of pasta. If you have increased the serving size, you'll need to increase this amount. (the ratio is 1 cup per 2 people)
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
Jenn says
I love lobster and pasta, I can't believe I have never thought to make this at home before! Love these tips on boosting the flavor of the sauce and the meat. I pick up packs of Crayfish tail meat for chowder often, adding this recipe to my list to make.
Rachna says
This was an absolute delight and I will be making it again. We love seafood in our family. I have to say this is one delicious pasta!
Sue says
Wow, lobster is a great way to make a simple pasta meal so special! Yum!
Anne says
Couldn't stop eating this decadent pasta! The rich lobster flavor and the most delicious creamy sauce made this a huge hit at my house.
Sage says
I really should have been born and raised in Maine. I love lobster SO much! Thankfully we can still get decent lobster here in Kansas City, the most land-locked spot in the nation. And that's what I used to make this amazing creamy lobster pasta. I substituted plant-based whipping cream for the heavy cream and used a vegan parmesan due to my alpha-gal allergy, but holy cow, this is a delightful dish!
Jessica says
I always ordered this dish with my grandparents at their favorite restaurant. It was a special gem, but I haven't been able to recreate it until finding this recipe. Now I'm thrilled to be able to make it at home and share with the rest of my family! To be sure, it's a special treat for us all.
Emilie says
I was searching for the perfect anniversary meal and found it!! Worked out perfectly that the recipe is designed for two. My husband and I are seafood lovers and always look for seafood pasta dishes!! Thank you for the extra recipe tips :).
Ksenia says
I tried your creamy lobster pasta recipe, and it's a culinary masterpiece! The combination of succulent lobster and creamy sauce creates a luxurious and flavorful dish. Your step-by-step instructions made the process easy, and the result was a hit with my guests. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe – it's definitely a restaurant-worthy meal that I can now make at home!
Lisa says
We had some leftover lobster from a big seafood boil so I gave this recipe a try. The whole family loved it.
Devy says
We love lobster but sometimes I run out of ideas on what to cook with it. This recipe is a good find as my boys love it. And since it's a pasta dish, I didn't have to cook anything else. Literally just this lobster pasta and some salad. Love it.
Sharon says
This was absolutely DELISH! I made this for my hubby for his birthday and it went over so well. It looked and tasted like a special occasion dish. Perfect!
claud says
This was the perfect beautiful meal for my date night at home. My husband and I cooked this together it was so simple to make but tasted like a meal you would find at a 5 star restaurant wow! There was no creamy goodness left on our plates as we soaked it all up with some garlic bread...can't wait to make it again.
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Thank yo so much for the lovely comment.
I am so happy you loved the lobster pasta 🙂
And cooking together sounds like a great date night to me.
Cx
Chichi says
This was a hit! I love how detailed your instructions are. Made this recipe easy to make. Yum.