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Why we love this recipe
Lobster, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…lobster in scrambled eggs, lobster in a slider, with lobster with BACON…I could go on and on.
The only way I don’t adore lobster is when I need to do battle with the shell (and even then I still love the Eating Of The Lobster), so whenever I come up with a lobster dinner that involves lobster that is already out of the shell it is that much more scrumptious!
And while I will happily eat this lemon garlic lobster pasta any old time of the year, between the lobster and the lemon and the handful of fresh herbs I like to toss in, it always tastes like a combination of Christmastime and summertime to me. And what could be better than that?
AND, it takes about 20 minutes to throw it all together!
So let’s talk about the star of the show, otherwise known as the main ingredient!
Where and how to get cooked and shelled lobster meat
You can get your lobster meat a bunch of different ways.
You can cook your own, and this article on how to cook the perfect lobster is very handy if you decide you want to go for it!
Another option is to buy a whole lobster and ask your supermarket fish counter to steam it (do this before you start the rest of your shopping and then pick it up at the end – that way you won’t have to wait for it).
You obviously still need to shell it, but I just look hopefully at the Southern husband and he springs into lobster shelling action!
Another option is to buy lobster tails – depending on their size, you will need either one or two. These usually come frozen and uncooked, so you will need to cook them up in advance (here are a few ways to cook up lobster) and these come out of the shell much more cooperatively than a whole lobster.
But MY favorite way is to use frozen cooked lobster meat.
In a recipe like this where the lobster is getting tossed with a sauce, if you get a nice frozen variety you will never notice the difference between this kind and fresh cooked – and there will be zero shells to deal with in any way!
My favorite kind is Cozy Harbor Of Maine, which I get at my local Wegmans, and I always have an extra pack in the freezer for when the lobster craving hits. Here’s where you can find Cozy Harbor lobster near you.
Ingredients you need to make this recipe
Ingredient additions and substitutions
Lobster: If lobster is just a little too spendy for you, you can also make this recipe with shrimp! Peel them and cook them for about 3 minutes in simmering water and you re all set.
Pasta: We love linguine for this recipe, but fettuccine and spaghetti will also work just fine. Make sure you salt up that water before you cook it up!
How to make this recipe
(Scroll down for the handy complete printable recipe with nutrition info!)
STEP 1: Cook a half pound of linguine according to the package directions in salted water. Scoop out a cup of pasta water before you drain it – we are going to use that magical pasta water later!
STEP 2: While the pasta is cooking, put a couple tablespoons each of butter and olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat.
STEP 3: When the butter is melted, add a clove of minced garlic and stir for one minute. Add about a cup and a half of cooked lobster meat and stir just until everything is nice and heated through.
STEP 4: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and give everything a toss.
STEP 5: Next, add the juice from one lemon, a half cup of Parmesan cheese and toss again, drizzling in enough of that lovely salty pasta water to make a light sauce. Add a handful of chopped fresh parsley or basil and toss one more time.
Recipe FAQs
You can get all kinds of gadgets, but I find the best way is to use my trusty food scale. I make two ounces of dry pasta per person when it is paired with this kind of a substantial sauce, but if you have extra hungry people at your table, you might want to size up to three ounces per person.
Yep! This recipe is also all kinds of scrumptious with shrimp. Get the medium kind, peel them up, and you can either cook them ahead of time or cook them in the step where you are melting the butter and garlic – shrimp take just a few minutes to cook.
Here’s another situation where there are millions of gadgets, but you can’t beat a good old fashioned garlic press. If you have a good one you don’t even need to peel the garlic first – just smooosh it in the press and scrape the perfectly minced garlic off with a paring knife.
The water that pasta has been cooked in has taken on some of the starch in the pasta, and that combined with the salt that you add at the beginning makes a perfect way to add a little lightness and flavor to your pasta sauce.
Pop it in the Comments section below and I will answer pronto!
Now the only thing you have left to do is to divide it up among bowls and start twirling up that lobster pasta deliciousness!
And while this is of course a perfectly perfect dinner party recipe, there is no reason why you can’t have a delectable bowl of buttery, cheesy, garlicky, lemony, lobster-y pasta on a random weeknight too.
Want to round out your meal?
We do love an iced lemonade cocktail with this summery supper (at all times of year, mind you!).
A classic wedge salad makes a great side dish. And if you left room for dessert, you can’t go wrong with banana cream pie, right?
Other lobster recipes we love!
Could you leave us some stars?
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below. Your thoughts and advice will help both us and your fellow readers.
Pasta with Lobster Sauce
This speedy recipe for pasta with lobster sauce tastes like summer on a plate! The buttery, lemony, cheesy, garlicky sauce will have them asking for seafood seconds.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 8 ounces linguine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups cooked lobster meat, torn into bite-sized pieces
- Juice from one lemon
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or basil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water. Scoop out a cup of pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta is cooking, put the butter and olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. When the butter is melted, add the garlic and stir for one minute. Add the lobster meat and stir until heated through.
- Add the cooked pasta and toss. Add the lemon juice, Parmesan cheese and toss again, drizzling in enough of the pasta water to make a light sauce. Add the parsley or basil and toss one more time.
- Divide among warmed plates and serve.
Notes
Lobster: There are all kinds of ways to get cooked lobster without having to wrangle it yourself. You can ask your supermarket to steam a live one for you, or you can use cooked frozen lobster. Check out some other lobster tips at the top of this article!
Garlic: I know you might be tempted to grab that convenient bottle of garlic powder, but resist and use the fresh stuff for this recipe…it really makes a flavor difference.
Lemon: The same thing goes for the lemon…use a fresh one for the juice instead of the bottle. This lobster supper deserves it, and so do you!
Keywords: lemon garlic lobster pasta, lobster pasta recipe, how to make pasta with lobster
Ken says
Fantastic. Simple and perfect.
★★★★★
Ken! You made my day – so glad you liked it! :)
Don says
Made it exactly as the recipe calls for. It was delicious but the lobster needs to be highlighted to make it 5 stars. I think next time I will add a touch of paprika or cayenne pepper.
★★★★
Hi Don and thanks for that good suggestion – I will give that a try myself next time I make this! :)
Rachel W says
Great dish! I made with fresh linguini and a pound of picked lobster meat. I basically doubled the recipe for 4 people and we had about a serving leftover… Everyone loved it. Will make again.
★★★★★
Rachel! This makes me so happy (and makes me want to make this all over again). :)
Maitri says
I baked frozen cod (in place of lobster) and used 1/4 cup dried parsley with the oil/butter medley then added garlic. Using whole wheat linguine and a large lemon on sale. This is an amazing dish! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Hi Maitri, and thanks for this – I always love to hear about the variations folks come up with. Yours sounds delicious! Happy almost summer!