When you’re enjoying some lobster ravioli, you may wonder what is the best sauce to pair it with. Lobster goes so well with so many different flavors, so finding the perfect lobster ravioli sauce may seem daunting! After testing many different recipes, the best pair for a homemade or store bought lobster ravioli is a creamy sauce with a bit of tomato paste, lobster stock, fresh herbs, and more. Since lobster and ravioli is so rich, it needs a heavy sauce to stand its ground, but bright herbs and lemon zest to cut through the heaviness!
Why you’ll love this Lobster Ravioli Sauce
- You can use homemade lobster ravioli OR store-bought lobster ravioli and it will be amazing regardless!
- Overall, this delicious sauce is made of very simple ingredients.
- This lobster ravioli cream sauce can ALSO work with other types of homemade and store-bought ravioli! I recommend browsing the fresh pasta section at Trader Joe’s – they always have great raviolis!
How to Make Creamy Lobster Ravioli Sauce
Equipment
- Kitchen Shears
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula
- Large pan
- Sauce pot
- Fine-Mesh Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 Lobster Tails with shells
- 10-12 pieces Lobster Ravioli
- 1 small Shallot diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- ½ tablespoon Tomato Paste
- ¼ cup Dry White Wine
- 2 tablespoon Brandy
- ¾ cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese more to taste & garnish
- 1 tablespoon Butter cold
- 1 Lemon for zest and a squeeze of juice
- 1-2 sprigs Tarragon
- 1 teaspoon Salt more or less, to taste
- Cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Begin by breaking down the lobster tails. Use kitchen shears to cut down the “spine” of the tail, with the scissor blade between the lobster meat and the shell. Do this on the top and bottom sides of the tail. Then, carefully, pull the lobster meat out of the shell. Set the shells aside.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the uncooked lobster tail meat into roughly ½-inch pieces.
- Finely dice the shallot and mince the garlic cloves. Zest the lemons, then squeeze the juice from them.
- Remove the tarragon leaves from the stem, roll the leaves up, and give it a rough chop.
- In a large pan with high sides (a saucier or sauteuse is great here), add a small amount of olive oil (about 1 tablespoon or less) along with 1 tablespoon of butter and allow to melt over medium-high heat.
- Add in the diced shallot and garlic, allowing to sweat and become translucent, making sure they do not burn.
- Add in the lobster shells. Stir and sauté until the shells turn a bright red color from the heat, about 5-7 minutes. Once shells are red, move them to the side and add the tomato paste directly to the pan. Cook the tomato paste while stirring for 2 minutes.
- Add the brandy to the hot pan (but remove from a flame first), then add the white wine. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan for any bits of food. Allow the alcohol to reduce by simmering until the pan is nearly dry. Add the heavy cream and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Place a pot in the sink with a fine-mesh strainer or sieve over the top of it. Remove shells, then pour the contents of the lobster sauce into the sieve, and gently press to make sure all of the sauce ends up in the pot.
- Place pot back on the stove over low heat. Add lemon juice, salt & pepper, parmesan cheese, and the diced lobster meat. Stir over low heat until the meat is cooked through.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of cold butter, along with the fresh tarragon, and stir until the butter is emulsified in the sauce.
- Cook ravioli according the package directions and reserve a small amount of pasta water if needed.
- Add the cooked ravioli to the lobster sauce pot, and stir to combine. If necessary, add a small amount of pasta water to loosen the sauce. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve hot in a bowl and garnish with lemon zest, any remaining chopped tarragon, and fresh chopped chives. Add red pepper flakes if desired. Enjoy.
Recipe’s Notes
- For best results, I highly recommend using Diamond Crystal kosher salt, fresh tarragon leaves, good parmesan cheese, and high quality butter. I also highly encourage the use of both brandy and white wine in this sauce. This is an easy recipe, but using the right ingredients is an important step!
- If you don’t consume any alcohol, I recommend swapping out the white wine for a light chicken broth. For the brandy, you can omit and instead add just the tiniest pinch (¼ teaspoon or less) of sugar to the tomato paste while it is cooking.
- Adding cold butter in the final steps helps to create a luxurious sauce texture. It is a great way to improve any sauce, don’t skip this part!
Nutrition
Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 210mg | Sodium: 1785mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1701IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 252mg | Iron: 2mg
