If creamy pasta and lobster are two of your favorite indulgences, this dish will steal your heart. Juicy, tender lobster is folded into a garlicky white wine cream sauce, with sweet cherry tomatoes and fragrant herbs bringing it all together. It feels luxe, but it’s surprisingly easy to pull off in under 45 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Lobster Pasta
- Decadent but approachable – Lobster tails are affordable and easy to work with.
- Restaurant-quality at home – Silky cream sauce with white wine and butter gives major date-night energy.
- Perfectly balanced – Tarragon, lemon zest, and cherry tomatoes brighten every bite.
- Flexible – Works beautifully with fresh or boxed pasta, and easy to scale up for a crowd.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Lobster meat – Use fresh or frozen lobster tails (or claw meat if you can splurge). Pre-shelled lobster works too.
- Fresh pasta – Tagliolini, tagliatelle, or linguine are best. Boxed is fine—just go for a good quality.
- Butter – Use a high-quality salted butter for richness.
- Olive oil – For sautéing the aromatics.
- Shallots & garlic – Essential for building the base of the sauce.
- White wine – Use a dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio). Champagne works too!
- Heavy cream – No shortcuts here. Cream brings the sauce together beautifully.
- Cherry tomatoes – Sweet and vibrant; grape tomatoes work too.
- Fresh tarragon – Optional but adds a delicate, herbal note. Basil or chives are great substitutes.
- Lemon zest – Brightens and balances the richness.
- Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
- Optional garnishes – Fresh chives, red pepper flakes, parmesan, or a squeeze of lemon juice.
How to Make Lobster Pasta
Prep the Lobster:
If using lobster tails, use kitchen shears to cut through the top and bottom of the shell. Carefully remove the meat and give it a rough chop. If using a whole lobster, you can steam or boil it, then extract the meat.
Sauté the Aromatics:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook until they blister and soften slightly.
Deglaze with Wine:
Remove the skillet from heat and pour in the white wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits from the pan, then return to medium heat and simmer briefly.
Cook the Lobster and Sauce:
Add in the lobster meat, heavy cream, tarragon, lemon zest, and butter. Let it simmer gently until the lobster is opaque and cooked through (just a few minutes). Stir occasionally until everything emulsifies into a creamy sauce.
Cook and Toss the Pasta:
While the sauce cooks, boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve some pasta water, then drain. Add the cooked pasta directly into the sauce and toss to coat. Loosen with a bit of reserved pasta water if needed.
Final Touches:
Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with extra lemon zest, chives, red pepper flakes, or parmesan if desired.
Tips for Success
- Use fresh pasta for the best absorption and texture. If using boxed pasta, reduce the amount of cream initially and adjust as needed.
- Don’t overcook the lobster – it cooks quickly and becomes rubbery if left too long.
- Save the shells – Freeze them for homemade lobster stock to use in risotto or soups.
- No tarragon? Basil or chives still bring freshness and color.
Serving Ideas
Serve this creamy lobster pasta with:
- A crisp green salad with vinaigrette
- Toasted garlic bread or crusty sourdough
- A glass of white wine or champagne
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4–5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Warm gently in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of olive oil or milk. Stir until heated through.
Make it a Meal to Remember
Whether you’re planning a romantic dinner or just feel like treating yourself, this creamy lobster pasta brings elegance without the stress. It’s rich, flavorful, and sure to impress—every bite tastes like something you’d order at a coastal bistro.
Lobster Pasta with Cream Sauce
If creamy pasta and lobster are two of your favorite indulgences, this dish will steal your heart.
Ingredients
- 8 oz tagliolini or any long pasta
- 2 medium lobster tails (about 6 to 8 oz of meat)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
- 2 sprigs tarragon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons butter (or more if you like)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Start by prepping the lobster. If you’re working with a whole, live lobster, begin by quickly and firmly cutting along the line at the top of the head with a sharp knife to dispatch it humanely.
- Twist off the tail and claws, then use kitchen shears to remove the shell. You can also boil the lobster whole after it’s been dispatched if that’s easier.
- If using lobster tails, just snip through the shell with kitchen shears down the top and bottom, then gently pull the meat out. Give the lobster meat a rough chop.
- Mince the garlic and shallot, and finely chop the fresh tarragon. Zest your lemon and slice the cherry tomatoes in half.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain and reserve a cup of the pasta water, just in case.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm about two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the minced shallot and cook until it turns translucent. Stir in the garlic, and once that’s softened, toss in the cherry tomatoes. Let them cook until they start to blister.
- Carefully add the white wine—off the flame but while the pan is still hot—and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Add the uncooked lobster meat, minced tarragon, and heavy cream. Cook until the lobster meat is just cooked through.
- If you're using dried pasta instead of fresh, reduce the cream by half and add more if needed later.
- Stir in the butter and lemon zest and let everything simmer gently on low heat.
- Add the cooked pasta and toss everything together until it’s evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.
- If needed, add a splash of pasta water or extra cream to loosen the sauce.
- Finish with a sprinkle of lemon zest or a squeeze of lemon juice. You can also garnish with chopped chives, red pepper flakes, or even a little parmesan if you like.
Notes
- Save the lobster shells to make a flavorful stock later. Just stash them in an airtight container in the freezer and simmer with water and aromatics when you're ready.
Nutrition Information
Yield
3Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 443Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 116mgSodium 400mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 22g
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.
