If there’s one way to spoil yourself (or someone you love) with dinner, this is it. Tender lobster tail cooked gently in butter, tossed with jammy cherry tomatoes, garlic, shallots, and a splash of white wine—all wrapped around silky strands of pasta. This is the kind of dish that feels like a celebration even on a quiet night in.
I made this for the first time on a rainy Friday when I needed something comforting but still a little fancy. It didn’t disappoint. Every bite felt rich, buttery, and worth slowing down for.
What Makes This Dish So Good
Lobster might feel like a restaurant-only affair, but this recipe keeps it simple while still feeling special. Here’s what I love about it:
The buttered lobster is the star. Cooked gently, the lobster stays juicy and rich without feeling heavy.
Cherry tomatoes melt into a sweet, tangy sauce. They give the dish a little brightness that cuts through the richness perfectly.
It’s surprisingly easy. You don’t need a ton of ingredients or time—just good seafood and a bit of patience.
It works for a date night or a treat-yourself kind of dinner. I’ve made this for my wife on our anniversary and once just for me after a long day. Both times? Totally worth it.
Cooking Lobster Without Stress
If cooking lobster at home feels intimidating, trust me, I’ve been there. The first time I bought lobster tails, I hovered over the stove like I was disarming a bomb. But once you get the hang of it, it’s just another seafood—just treat it gently.
Here’s what I keep in mind:
Size matters. A big lobster tail (around 500g or 18 oz) will need 12–14 minutes in boiling water. Smaller ones (120g or about 4 oz) cook in 7–8 minutes.
Salt your water like the sea. It seasons the lobster and helps keep its flavour full and fresh.
Butter poaching = tenderness. For this recipe, I prefer poaching the lobster meat slowly in melted butter. It stays tender and picks up that rich flavour so beautifully.
Save those shells! I boil them with a few cloves of garlic, thyme, and peppercorns for a quick homemade lobster stock. Freeze it for a rainy day risotto or seafood soup.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a breakdown of what I use and why it matters:
Lobster
Fresh is best, of course. But I totally get that lobster isn’t cheap, especially where I live. When I’m feeling frugal, I swap in prawns or even chunks of firm white fish like snapper or cod. Still delicious.
Just remember—whatever you use, it has to be fresh. That clean ocean smell is what you want. Anything fishy-smelling? Skip it.
Butter
Use real, good-quality butter here. I usually go for unsalted so I can control the seasoning. This isn’t the place for margarine or any substitutes. The butter gives the lobster its melt-in-your-mouth texture and forms the base of the sauce.
White Wine
Only a splash, but make it count. I use whatever white wine I’d drink with dinner—usually something crisp like a sauvignon blanc or dry Riesling. Don’t cook with wine you wouldn’t sip from a glass.
Cherry Tomatoes
These little guys burst and soften into the base of the sauce. When you cook them slowly with shallots and garlic, they turn sweet and syrupy—almost like a tomato jam that wraps around every strand of pasta.
Pasta
I love using angel hair or spaghetti here. The long strands really cling to the buttery sauce. But if all you have is linguine, tagliatelle, or even fettuccine, that’ll work just fine. I’ve even tried it with bucatini once—very slurpable.
Real Life Cooking Tips
Don’t rush the lobster. Keep your heat low when poaching it in butter—this isn’t a stir-fry.
Taste as you go. Tomatoes can vary in sweetness, so balance with a pinch of salt or a small splash of wine.
Timing is everything. Cook the pasta just shy of al dente and finish it in the sauce to soak up all the flavor.
Use tongs, not a spoon. Tongs help twist the pasta beautifully into the sauce without mashing anything.
Make-Ahead Ideas
This isn’t a dish that holds well overnight (the lobster’s too delicate), but here’s what you can prep earlier in the day:
Lobster tails: Boil or poach ahead of time, then store the meat separately in butter in the fridge.
Cherry tomato sauce base: You can make this a few hours ahead. Reheat it gently and toss in the lobster at the end.
Pasta: Don’t cook it ahead, but you can keep a pot of salted water ready to boil so things move quickly.
How I Like to Serve It
A bowl of this lobster pasta doesn’t need much on the side. I usually pair it with:
A crisp green salad (think arugula or baby spinach with a lemony vinaigrette)
Garlic bread (to mop up every bit of sauce)
A chilled glass of white wine
If I’m making it for guests, I finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley or even a few chili flakes for those who like a kick.
Leftovers & Storage
Truthfully, this dish is best eaten fresh. The lobster can go rubbery if reheated too hard. But if you do have leftovers:
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day.
Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water or stock and a small pat of butter.
Avoid the microwave—trust me, it doesn’t do the lobster any favours.
Questions You Might Have
Can I use frozen lobster tails?
Yes, just make sure they’re properly thawed in the fridge overnight. I pat them dry before cooking.
What pasta works best?
Long shapes like angel hair, spaghetti, or linguine are ideal because they coat well with the buttery sauce. But short pasta will work if that’s what you have.
Can I skip the wine?
You can. Use a squeeze of lemon and a splash of lobster stock or pasta water instead. But the wine does add a lovely depth.
Is this spicy?
Nope. But you can add a pinch of chili flakes to the sauce if you like a bit of heat.
Buttered Lobster Pasta
Creamy, rich, and absolutely irresistible—this buttered lobster pasta is pure indulgence. Tender lobster tail gently cooked in a butter-laced tomato sauce and tossed with delicate angel hair pasta... it's one of those dishes that feels fancy but is surprisingly easy to pull together. Perfect for a cozy dinner or when you just want to treat yourself!
Ingredients
- 1 lobster tail (500g–1kg), meat removed and chopped into large chunks
- 250 g angel hair pasta
- 150 g salted butter (divided)
- 400 g cherry tomatoes
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
- Juice of ¼ lemon
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Start by bringing a large pot of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Meanwhile, remove the lobster meat from the shell. Flip the tail over and carefully snip down both sides using kitchen shears, then peel away the shell. Cut the meat into hearty chunks.
- In a deep sauté pan over medium heat, melt about 50 g of butter with the olive oil. Once the butter starts to foam gently, reduce the heat and add in the lobster. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, just until the meat turns opaque and tender. Scoop it out and set it aside.
- In the same pan, add the shallots and garlic. Sauté until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the flavorful bits stuck to the pan. Let it simmer until most of the wine has reduced.
- Toss in the cherry tomatoes and keep the heat low. Let them simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they've collapsed and become thick and saucy.
- While the tomatoes cook, drop the pasta into the boiling water. Cook just shy of al dente—about 2 minutes less than the package suggests. Don’t forget to reserve a cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
- Add the cooked pasta to the tomato sauce along with the remaining butter (50–100 g depending on your preference). Slowly stir in the reserved pasta water until the sauce turns smooth and glossy, coating each strand.
- Fold the lobster back in along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of chopped parsley. Give everything a gentle toss, season with salt and pepper, and serve right away while it’s warm and luscious.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 563Total Fat 38gSaturated Fat 21gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 126mgSodium 502mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 3gSugar 12gProtein 19g
Easy Shrimp Recipes.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although allchickenrecipes.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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