This is the elegant, luscious lobster pasta recipe you have been waiting for. The blend of succulent lobster in a creamy tomato sauce creates a delicious seafood pasta dish with tons of flavor, worthy of a special occasion.
I love seafood pasta, in fact, it's my favorite type of pasta. Fortunately for me, Jordan (my husband) has been mastering his pasta recipe game for the last 15 years and the results have been very rewarding. So allow me to welcome you to a new series on Abra's Kitchen, “Cooking with Doppio” – Doppio is Jordan's Italian alter ego and he will be sharing his best pasta making tips and tricks.
After years of making this lobster pasta for special meals with friends and family, he's refined this to a method that yields a richly flavored lobster sauce without the lengthy process of making traditional lobster stock. The key lies in reintroducing the lobster shells into boiling water and reducing it, swiftly creating a concentrated lobster broth that remarkably elevates the flavor of this simple creamy tomato sauce into a decadent dish.
This dish is a great addition to a Feast of the Seven Fishes menu. Lobster always feels like a celebratory ingredient and a huge platter of this arriving at the table has never failed to elicit ooohs and ahhhs from everyone.
If seafood pasta is as delicious a treat for you as it is for me, you are going to love these Pan Seared Scallops with Lemon Parsley Pasta. Be sure to also check out this Spicy 2 Minute Calamari for another quick seafood dish that is huge on flavor.
You'll Love this Recipe
- Fresh live lobsters have a ton of sweet flavor to lend to a simple stock and when mixed with rich tomato and cream the resulting flavors are luxurious.
- The blend of succulent lobster tail and claw meat, aromatic garlic, and a creamy tomato sauce makes this the best lobster pasta recipe you'll ever need.
- The easiest way to get the most flavor: This recipe simplifies the process without sacrificing the flavor or sophistication of an elegant and elevated lobster pasta dish.
- Impress your guests: Cooking shellfish can be intimidating but I've got you covered. Not only is this a simple method, it will also make your guests wonder if you are a professional chef in a secret life.
Let's Get Cooking!
Ingredients and Helpful Substitution Tips
- Live lobsters – You can use lobster tails if you can't find whole live lobster. I like to use 1-1/14 pound of whole lobster per 2 servings of pasta. To be clear, I am referring to the weight of the whole lobster uncooked. Once it is shelled, the meat yield will be much less than 1 pound.
- Tomato paste – Triple concentrated if you can find it or double concentrated. This matters. You want a concentrated product. A little goes as long way. Buy the best you can afford.
- Passata (pureed strained tomatoes) – I love this stuff. It's a great clean tomato product that has so many applications in the kitchen. It's a perfect base to make your own tomato sauce which I promise will be better than any jarred sauce you can buy. Speaking of jars, this also comes in a jar for easy resealing. I've had one in the fridge and used it through an entire week.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh garlic – Sliced thin but not too thin. Keeping some dimension on the garlic cloves helps it cook evenly and prevents it from burning (minced garlic tends to burn quickly in the pan)
- Small Yellow Onion
- Heavy Cream – This is the finisher. It gives the sauce its creamy velvety texture and luscious body.
- Fresh Basil
- Fresh Chives
- Red pepper flakes (optional) – If you like it spicy, add these anytime in the cooking process or finish your dish with a sprinkle.
Detailed measurements and ingredients can be found within the recipe card at the end of this post.
Tools
- Pair of Tongs
- Large Skillet
- Sharp Knife
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Cutting board
- Large bowl
- Pair of Scissors
How to Make This Recipe
- Boil lobsters and remove meat from the tail claw and knuckles. (for a simplified version you could use just lobster tails). If you prefer lobster tail meat to claws this is a good option, though I believe it produces a less flavorful stock/broth. Personally, I think that using whole lobsters is the best way to go.
- Return separated shells to the water and continue to boil and reduce to make a simple lobster stock.
- Strain shells and impurities from lobster stock. ( Feel free to return the pot to the stove and continue to simmer to further reduce and intensify the stock. You will only need about 1.25 cups of stock)
- Boil pasta and reserve water.
- Saute onions garlic and tomato paste, add passata strained tomato puree) and lobster stock, reduce to concentrate flavor.
- Add 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water and a little more lobster stock, stir to incorporate and emulsify.
- Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and stir to blend into the sauce.
- Add al dente pasta and reserved lobster meat. Toss to coat pasta and incorporate the lobster meat evenly through the pan.
- Garnish with finely chopped chives and fresh basil. Toss once more and serve.
Recipe tips
- I realize that not everyone is comfortable killing lobsters. You can ask your seafood supplier to kill them and break them down for you if you plan on cooking them that day. This provides you the benefit of having the whole lobster and lobster shells to flavor the broth with. You could also make this with fresh or frozen lobster tails. You may not get as much lobster flavor in the liquid but should still be able to produce an enhanced sauce.
- Here's a great guide for boiling times based on the weight of your lobster. I know it's unpleasant for some people to think about but, using whole live lobsters means that you need to send them to their eternal resting place. Serious Eats has an excellent tutorial on how to kill fresh lobster and how to break it down.
- The lobster can be boiled and kept chilled a day ahead. The concentrated lobster water/broth/stock may also be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
- Small lobsters, between 1-2 pounds are referred to as chicken lobsters or ‘chicks'. They are a great size for this type of dish and are very sweet and tender.
- PRO TIP- When breaking down your lobster, do not sleep on the smaller legs. They make a fantastic sweet treat. Break them open and suck out all that good tender meat. These little guys are the chef's reward. Throw the finished leg shells into your stock.
Why I like this easy Lobster Stock method: By Jordan
I've been making versions of this recipe for years and I've found this method is the best bang for your buck. I love the added depth of flavor you get from a classic shellfish stock but I rarely want to spend the time it requires to make one. This technique harmonizes all that is best about the experience of cooking at home, harnessing fresh high-quality ingredients and preparing them with simplicity to produce intense, clear, and richly pleasurable flavors without spending the entire day to do so. In other words, great flavors and the time to enjoy them with people you like.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing Instructions
- STORAGE -Store for 1 day in an airtight container
- REHEATING- reheat in the microwave or in a large pan on the stovetop over medium heat.
- FREEZING-not recommended
FAQ
Yes, however fresh typically produces a better flavor
I've used basil and chive. Basil is a natural partner to the tomato sauce and I love its light freshness. Of course, flat leaf parley would be a very nice option and Tarragon is a classic herb compliment to lobster.
Timing is key. For a 1.25lb lobster boil for 8-9 minutes. Avoid overcooking the lobster, otherwise, it will be tough. Naturally, you don't want to undercook either as it will be raw in the middle. I'm less concerned about undercooking in this recipe as any slightly undercooked meat can be added back into the lobster stock for a few minutes to complete cooking.
Dietary Modifications
- Gluten-Free – Use gluten free pasta. Rumo brand gluten free spaghetti would be my suggestion
- Dairy Free – You could eliminate the cream. We have done so in the past with great success
I can’t wait for you to try this! When you make it, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @abrapappa or use the hashtag #abraskitchen so I can feature your photo!
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
Lobster Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Knife
- 2 Large pot 1 for boiling lobster and 1 for boiling pasta
- 1 skillet
- 1 pair of tongs
- 1 pair of scissors for snipping the rubber bands off lobster claws
- 1 large bowl
- 1 fine mesh sieve Must be fine
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh lobster meat Removed from 2 freshly cooked 1.25 lb lobsters
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup tomato puree Passata
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound pasta
- 2 tsp kosher salt for sauce/ additional salt needed for seasoning boiling waters
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves torn
- 1 tbsp chives finely chopped
Instructions
- Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. The fresh lobster will contain some natural salt but it's a good idea to add more salt to the water. I add approximately 1.5 tablespoons per liter. The water should taste like the sea.
- Remove rubber bands from claws and boil lobsters until bright red, approximately 8 minutes. I recommend boiling the whole lobster and breaking it down after it's cooked and cooled, but you may prefer to separate it into parts before going into the water.
- Remove the cooked lobster from water and allow it to cool enough that you can handle it. Separate the lobster meat from the shells cut into bite-sized pieces and reserve in a bowl.
- Return the separated lobster shells to the water and continue to boil for 30 minutes. Note: remove the innards from the body cavity before returning this portion of the shell to the water. This will keep the water from becoming excessively cloudy.
- Strain lobster broth through a fine mesh sieve to remove shells and impurities. Return lobster broth to the burner and allow to simmer. You will likely have more broth than you will need so it is okay to allow this to simmer and continue to reduce while you are completing the other steps. If cloudy impurities begin collecting at the top of your broth, skim them out with a spoon or pass the liquid through the mesh sieve again.
- Over medium-high heat, boil pasta according to package instructions in well-salted water. Water should taste like salt water. Reserve a cup of pasta water for later.
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until softened, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, stirring to coat the onion and garlic as it caramelizes and its color begins to go deep reddish brown about 2-3 more minutes.
- Add a 1/2 cup of the lobster broth to deglaze the pan. Stir and reduce the liquic by 2/3.
- Add passata/ strained pureed tomatoes. Stir and cook until liquid is further reduced .
- Add another 1/2 cup of lobster broth, stir and cook until liquid is reduced by another inch or so.
- Once reduced add 1/4 cup of lobster broth and a 1/4 cup of starchy pasta water. Mix well to incorporate and emulsify. The liquids should fully evaporate into the sauce mixture as they blend to create a glossy consistency.
- Reduce heat to low and add 1/4 cup of heavy cream. For extra creamy sauce use 1/2 cup. Both will work well. Stir to blend the cream into the sauce.
- Add the lobster meat and pasta. Stir or toss well to coat the pasta and distribute the lobster meat evenly through the sauce. Add chive and basil, toss once more and move to a platter to serve. Eat immediately.
Video
Notes
- Here's a great guide for boiling times based on the weight of your lobster. I know it's unpleasant for some people to think about but, using whole live lobsters means that you need to send them to their eternal resting place. Serious Eats has an excellent tutorial on how to kill fresh lobster and how to break it down.
- The lobster can be boiled and kept chilled a day ahead. The concentrated lobster water/broth/stock may also be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
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