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Indulge in the ultimate lobster pasta recipe featuring sweet, tender lobster, fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, al dente pasta, and a luscious garlic butter sauce. Perfectly balanced with a hint of spice and a zesty finish, this elegant yet easy-to-make dish is a seafood lover’s dream!
You’ll also love our lobster rolls and lobster bisque. Perfect for leftover baked lobster.
Why you’ll love this recipe…
Combining sweet lobster meat with the tomatoes, the brightness of lemon zest, and the gentle heat from red pepper flakes creates a rich and fresh flavor profile. The buttery, garlicky sauce ties everything together without being too heavy, allowing the lobster to shine. Many lobster pasta recipes use heavy cream, and I feel it takes away from the freshness of this dish! Try it for your next date night.
Try our burst cherry tomato pasta next.
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
With simple grocery store ingredients and fresh lobster tail meat, you’ll have a 5-star meal at half the price! This is a great recipe for leftover lobster meat.
- Lobster meat– is the star of the dish! Sweet, tender lobster adds luxurious texture and flavor, making every bite indulgent and unique. For convenience, use cooked lobster meat.
- Sturdy pasta: Opt for a shape with some bite, like fusilli col bucco, bucatini, or pappardelle. These varieties hold up well to the hearty lobster and sauce, ensuring each strand is perfectly coated. You can also make fresh pasta!
- Olive oil: High-quality extra virgin olive oil adds richness to the sauce and helps create a silky texture, combining all the ingredients.
- Butter: Just a little butter adds a luscious, velvety element to the dish, enhancing the lobster’s natural richness.
- Shallots: These delicate, sweet onions lend a mild onion flavor that complements the lobster without overpowering it.
- Garlic: A few cloves of finely chopped garlic add depth and a warm, savory aroma that pairs beautifully with seafood. You can also use minced garlic.
- Red pepper flakes: A subtle hint of spice from the red pepper flakes brings a lively kick to balance the creamy, buttery flavors.
- Cherry tomatoes: Juicy and sweet, the tomatoes create a light, fresh sauce that brightens the dish and contrasts the lobster.
- Lemon zest: The zest of lemon adds a refreshing pop of citrus at the end, enhancing the seafood’s natural sweetness and balancing the dish’s richness.
- White wine or water: A quick splash deglazes the pan, lifting all the delicious browned bits while adding complexity and acidity to the sauce.
- Fresh basil: Torn or roughly chopped, basil brings a fragrant, peppery sweetness that adds freshness and brightness to each bite.
- Fresh parsley: Chopped Italian parsley offers a clean, slightly bitter note that balances the richness of the lobster and pasta.
- Salt and black pepper: Simple yet essential, they enhance the natural flavors of the ingredients without overwhelming them.
See the recipe card for quantities.
FAQ’s
Look for fresh, high-quality whole lobster tails from a trusted source. You can typically choose between warm-water or cold-water lobster tails. Cold-water lobster tails are often preferred for their sweeter, more tender meat. Ensure the tails are free from any discoloration or strong odors, which could indicate that the lobster is not fresh. Make sure the meat doesn’t feel or look “mushy”. Avoid tails soaked in sodium tripolyphosphate (to ensure that is doesn’t taste like ammonia).
Here are a few common ways to cook lobster:
Broiling: Lobster tails can be broiled under high heat for a quick cook. Brush them with butter and garlic, then broil for about 8-10 minutes, depending on size.
Grilling: Grilling adds a smoky, charred flavor. Split the tails, brush with butter, and grill meat-side down first, then flip to finish cooking.
Steaming: For a delicate and moist lobster, steam the tails for about 8-10 minutes, then finish with melted butter for serving.
How to Make Lobster Pasta
Despite its impressive appearance and taste, this recipe is surprisingly simple at home. It’s elegant enough for a special occasion but easy enough for a weeknight dinner, making it the best of both worlds! See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for more.
In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, add the shallot and the garlic with the red pepper flakes.
Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until soft.
Add the cooked lobster tails.
Stir the lobster with the cherry tomato sauce and stir to combine.
Cook pasta al dente in a large pot of water. Make sure the water is salted and comes to a rolling boil before adding the pasta. Reserve a cup of water for pasta before draining.
Add the herbs and lemon zest then toss to combine.
Grab some crusty bread for the delcious pan sauce with tons of flavor!
While lobster is a luxurious ingredient, the overall dish is comforting and approachable. It has that homestyle pasta feel with a touch of elegance—perfect for a special dinner or treating yourself. It combines everything you want in a delcious seafood pasta dish!
Variations
- Creamy Lobster Pasta: If you prefer a richer sauce, add 1/2 cup of heavy cream or mascarpone cheese after deglazing the pan. If you like, add parmesan cheese. This will create a creamy parmesan sauce sauce that coats the pasta luxuriously.
- Lobster and Shrimp Pasta: Add 1/2 pound of shrimp along with the lobster to make the dish even more special. Sauté the shrimp until pink and just cooked through before adding the lobster for a seafood feast.
- Garlicky Butter Lobster Pasta: Increase the garlic and lemon zest for a bright, garlicky butter sauce. You can even add a little fresh lemon juice at the end for more tang.
Substitutions
- Pasta Substitutes: If you can’t find the suggested pasta shapes, you can use spaghetti, fettuccine, or tagliatelle. Any long, sturdy pasta will work well with the sauce.
- Wine Substitution: If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute it with vegetable or seafood broth for added flavor or simply use water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten the dish.
- Herb Alternatives: If basil and parsley aren’t available, you can use fresh tarragon, chives, or chervil for a slightly different flavor. Tarragon, in particular, has a mild anise-like flavor that complements seafood well.
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Stovetop: Heat in a skillet with a splash of water or broth over medium-low until warmed. Stir occasionally. Microwave: Heat in intervals, adding water or broth to moisten it. Avoid overcooking the lobster.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tips
- Use Fresh Lobster: Fresh, high-quality lobster makes a huge difference in flavor and texture.
- Cook Pasta Al Dente: Slightly undercooked pasta to keep it firm so it holds up well when tossed in the sauce.
- Reserve Pasta Water: Save some pasta water to adjust the sauce’s consistency. It adds starchiness that helps the sauce cling to the pasta.
- Fresh Herbs Last: Add the basil, parsley, and lemon zest at the end for the brightest flavor and freshest aroma.
- Low Heat for Lobster: Reheat or toss lobster over low heat to avoid overcooking, making it challenging.
- Deglaze for Depth: Don’t skip deglazing the pan with wine or water. It lifts all the flavorful bits and adds complexity to the sauce.
More Delcious Lobster Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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Lobster Pasta Recipe
Description
Indulge in the ultimate lobster pasta recipe featuring sweet, tender lobster, fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, al dente pasta, and a luscious garlic butter sauce. Perfectly balanced with a hint of spice and a zesty finish, this elegant yet easy-to-make dish is a seafood lover’s dream!
Ingredients
- 4 lobsters, 1 1/4 pounds each, or 1 pound of cooked lobster meat (use my steamed lobster recipe and cook as directed)
- 1 pound pasta, like fusili col bucco, mafaldine, bucatini, or pappardelle
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 large shallots, finely diced
- 3–4 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups mixed cherry tomatoes, halved
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup white wine (such as sauvignon blanc) or water, for deglazing the pan
- Reserve pasta cooking water (if needed)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped
- more fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions.
- Prepare the Sauce: While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the diced shallots and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for another minute until fragrant.
- Cook the Tomatoes: Stir in the cherry tomatoes and cook until they soften and begin to release their juices, about 5 minutes.
- Deglaze the Pan: Pour in the white wine (or water) to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom. Let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add the Lobster: Add the cooked lobster meat (prepared using CucinabyElena’s steamed lobster recipe) to the pan and stir gently. Cook until the lobster is warmed through, about 2 minutes.
- Toss with Pasta: Reserve 1 cup of cooking water and drain the pasta. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly, about 1-2 minutes. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking water if the sauce needs thinning.
- Finish with Herbs and Lemon Zest: Off the heat, stir in the fresh basil, parsley, and lemon zest—season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve: Serve immediately, garnished with extra herbs if desired, and enjoy with a drizzle of olive oil!
Notes
Top Tips:
- Use Fresh Lobster: Fresh, high-quality lobster makes a huge difference in flavor and texture.
- Cook Pasta Al Dente: Slightly undercooked pasta to keep it firm so it holds up well when tossed in the sauce.
- Reserve Pasta Water: Save some pasta water to adjust the sauce’s consistency. It adds starchiness that helps the sauce cling to the pasta.
- Fresh Herbs Last: Add the basil, parsley, and lemon zest at the end for the brightest flavor and freshest aroma.
- Low Heat for Lobster: Reheat or toss lobster over low heat to avoid overcooking, making it challenging.
- Deglaze for Depth: Don’t skip deglazing the pan with wine or water. It lifts all the flavorful bits and adds complexity to the sauce.
I love seafood pasta and this one is a total favorite! Enjoy.