Creamy Lobster Pasta
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. 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!
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)
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Nutrition
Calories: 1448kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 97g | Saturated Fat: 49g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 35g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 307mg | Sodium: 643mg | Potassium: 513mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2961IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 455mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition is per serving
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