Lobster Ravioli with Lemon Cream Sauce

If you are looking for a date night meal to impress your favorite person, then look no further! This Lobster Ravioli is made from scratch and is accompanied by an amazing Lemon Cream Sauce that is to-die-for! Lobster Ravioli is such a delicious and elevated meal to enjoy over a candlelight dinner for two, on Valentine's Day, an anniversary, Mother's Day, or any special occasion.

Don't worry, if you want all the deliciousness without the effort in making Lobster Ravioli from scratch, you can buy your favorite store-bought lobster ravioli instead (Trader Joe's lobster ravioli is a great option that is perfect for this delightful Lemon Cream Sauce)! 

Making ravioli from scratch takes a bit of time, but is so fun to do especially if you enjoy cooking! So pour a glass of wine and make it a date-night activity by making this lobster ravioli and sauce recipe.

Lobsters are eaten throughout the world and have been for over a thousand years. There have been periods of time when lobster was considered peasant food or livestock food and at other times an expensive delicacy. Right now, the latter is very true, as high demand has driven lobster prices up again. Despite the price, lobster is a delight and has such a unique and rich taste. And with our deep love for pasta, we knew a lobster pasta dish belonged on our blog!

If you are looking for more tasty seafood pasta recipes, then you will love our recipes for Seared Scallop Pasta with Vanilla Grapefruit Cream Sauce or Shrimp Orecchiette with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce.

Ingredients

This lobster ravioli recipe includes homemade ravioli with a lobster filling and a lemon cream sauce recipe. Let's break these down starting with the lobster ravioli sauce recipe ingredients:

Lemon Cream Sauce 

We put a high value on sauces no matter what the dish, and this creamy lobster ravioli sauce is no exception! This is a cream sauce thickened by reduction. That means it will take some time to become perfect, but the wait is worth it! We use a concentrated liquid lobster base that happens to have salt in it, so there is no salt necessary in our sauce. As always, when the sauce reaches its perfect reduced stage, taste for seasoning. This rich sauce really makes the ravioli shine, and we are sure you’ll love it too!

• Olive Oil
• Shallot
• Dry White Wine: Always cook with a wine that you enjoy drinking. It doesn't have to be expensive, but should be drinkable. We like to use Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc for this recipe.
• Lobster Stock: Any lobster stock, bouillon, or broth that you enjoy will work for the sauce. We use lobster bouillon base since lobster stock can sometimes be a challenge to find and/or make. If using bouillon, follow directions on the container to make 1.5 cups of stock. Alternatively, use fish or seafood stock if lobster stock is unaccessible.
• Heavy Cream
• Cracked White Pepper: Since the sauce is light in color, we prefer to use white peppercorn, but black pepper works here too.
• Lemon Juice: The juice of 1 whole lemon gives the sauce a nice brightness and complements the lobster.
• Italian Flat Leaf Parsley: Parsley is the perfect herb to finish the sauce.
• Kosher Salt to taste

Lobster Ravioli Filling

Since lobster can stand on its own quite well, the filling is rather simple. There are a few complementary ingredients, namely chives, coriander, and lemon zest, that help the ricotta and lobster filling shine. A nice ravioli is the preferred pasta shape for us because the filling to pasta ratio works well here.

• Cooked Lobster Meat: The recipe uses ½ lb of cooked lobster meat, which is about 1 lb of lobster tails, or a 2-lb whole lobster. Many grocery stores sell pre-cooked lobster (chilled or frozen) in various forms. Buy whatever makes sense for you. If you plan to cook live lobster, see the recipe notes on the recipe card below for recommendations.
• Kosher Salt
• Ricotta: Whole milk fresh ricotta cheese is best for this recipe.
• Lemon Zest: The zest of the lemon is the thin outer yellow-colored layer of the lemon peel. Use a microplane zester to zest half of a fresh lemon for this recipe. Ensure the white pith under the yellow zest is not used as it is very bitter.
• Egg White: If you are making homemade pasta, you can save one of the whites from the eggs used in the dough for the filling.
• Chives: Chives have a nice subtle onion and garlic flavor without being overpowering. The chives nicely complement to other flavors in this dish.
• Ground Coriander Seeds: Coriander seeds are the seeds of the cilantro plant, but they have a significantly different flavor. Coriander seeds have an earthy, slightly tart and slightly sweet flavor with some floral notes. They are a lovely addition to the ravioli filling.

Homemade Pasta Dough for Ravioli

We are big advocates of making fresh pasta from scratch. The process can be so therapeutic and a fun activity for a couple or family to do together. Our Multipurpose Pasta Dough recipe is our go-to egg pasta dough recipe for homemade ravioli. The pasta dough ends up being so silky and luscious because of the addition of eggs, milk and butter. Check out our Homemade Pasta post for information and a video on making the pasta dough.

• Tipo 00 Flour:Tipo 00 is a type of Italian flour which is the finest grade of milled flour giving it a super fine texture almost like baby powder. It is the preferred flour to use for homemade pasta, but can be replaced with All Purpose flour if needed.
• Unsalted Butter: We add melted unsalted butter to our homemade pasta dough. We feel that it adds a silky texture to the finished pasta.
• Whole Milk: Similar to the butter, the milk helps to give the pasta a nice velvety texture.
• Egg Yolks: We use egg yolks and one whole egg in this recipe. We recommend that you buy high quality eggs when making homemade pasta for best results.

See recipe card for quantities.

Substitutions

Here are some recommended substitutions that work for this dish:

• Store-bought Ravioli: You can always use store-bought lobster ravioli in place of homemade with the Lemon Cream Sauce in this recipe.
• Lobster Meat: Shrimp is a great alternative to use in this dish in place of lobster meat if you don't want to splurge on lobster.
• Lobster Stock: Lobster bouillon base is our choice to use in place of lobster stock in this recipe, but you can use fish stock or seafood stock as well. If you plan to make the sauce with a non-seafood pasta dish, simply use vegetable stock instead.
• Tipo 00 Flour: Use all purpose flour in place of Tipo 00.

Instructions: How to Make Lobster Ravioli with Lemon Cream Sauce

If making the lobster ravioli from scratch, you will want to make the Homemade Pasta Dough first before beginning the other steps in this recipe. If making just the sauce, skip to Step X.

Step 1: Make Homemade Pasta Dough

Follow the instructions for Homemade Pasta Dough HERE. Once your pasta dough is made and resting, you can start making the filling.

Step 2: Make the Lobster Ravioli Filling

Chop the pre-cooked chilled lobster meat and add it to a food processor with the remaining filling ingredients. Pulse until thoroughly combined but still have some texture - we like small chunks of lobster in our filling rather than a smooth filling. Transfer to a bowl or a piping bag and place in the fridge until ready to use.

The ravioli filling can be made up to one day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge if needed.

Step 3: Fill and Shape the Lobster Ravioli

Ravioli isn't too challenging to make or master. You will first start with rolling out your pasta dough into sheets. We have a roller attachment for our stand mixer that makes our lives easier, but you can of course just use a rolling pin and roll the dough into thin sheets. Or a more affordable option is the hand crank pasta roller which works great too! Once you have your sheets, you can make your ravioli. 

To make the ravioli, lay your pasta sheet flat on a lightly floured work surface. To prevent your dough from drying out too much, we prefer to roll out one sheet at a time and make the ravioli before rolling out another sheet.

Next we add about 1 tablespoon of the Lobster Ravioli filling about 3 inches apart on half of the sheet. Fold the sheet in half onto your filling scoops, bringing the two short edges together. Carefully press the sheets together around each scoop of filling. Press out as much air as possible. Finally, use a ravioli cutter or a knife to cut your sheet into 3 x 3 inch squares (7.5x7.5 cm), then set the ravioli aside on a parchment-lined and lightly flour-dusted baking sheet. Once all ravioli are made, place the sheet tray in the fridge while you make the sauce.

Step 4: Lemon Cream Sauce for Lobster Ravioli

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil then add the diced shallots and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan and continue cooking until the wine has reduced down to about 1 tablespoon of liquid. This will take about 4-5 minutes.

Next add the cream and lobster stock and increase the heat to medium-high to bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat back down to medium-low and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half (this can take up to 30 minutes, so be patient). Once reduced, add lemon juice and taste for salt and adjust salt as needed. Keep warm on low while you cook your lobster ravioli and add chopped parsley to the sauce right before serving.

Step 5: Cook Lobster Ravioli and Finish Dish

While your lobster ravioli cream sauce reduces, fill a large pot with salted water (about 2 tablespoon per 6-8 quarts of water) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-high and gently add your ravioli and let them cook for about 4-5 minutes for al dente pasta. Once done, remove the ravioli from the pot using a slotted spoon or spider spatula and serve over a layer of sauce with additional sauce drizzled over the top. Enjoy this luxurious and tasty dish with your favorite white wine (see Lobster Ravioli Wine Pairings below for suggestions). 

Garnishes for the Lobster Ravioli

As for garnishes, think along the lines of what is in the components of the dish, and you can’t go wrong. Parsley, chives, and lemon zest are additions that can be considered. If you want a bit of spice, chili oil or red pepper flakes are also nice.

We did not use additional cheese (such as Parmesan cheese) since it is a seafood dish. Some Italians will say NEVER use Parmesan or a similar cheese when serving seafood. We disagree, as it has its place, but we just chose not to here since the creamy sauce stands on its own for richness. If you want to use a hard cheese it will not detract at all from the dish in our opinion.

Variations

Here are a few variations that we enjoy with this recipe:

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking the sauce to give it a bit of a kick!
• Deluxe - caviar is a super hot ingredient right now, and will take this already fancy dish to another level!
• Change the citrus - use grapefruit, yuzu, lime, orange, bergamot or other citrus for a fun twist on the lemon cream sauce!
• Sauce up other dishes - make the sauce with other seafood dishes! It is the best sauce for a variety of seafood dishes.
• Use shrimp instead of lobster - for a more approachable recipe any day of the year!
• Change up the sauce - although we feel that this sauce is perfect for lobster ravioli, you can definitely try the homemade lobster ravioli with other sauces such as a lemon brown butter sauce, spicy vodka sauce, or check out our Vanilla Grapefruit Cream Sauce or Lemon Caper Cream Sauce.

Equipment

This recipe does require a few pieces of equipment that you may not already own. Here is what we recommend:

• We highly recommend a roller attachment for a stand mixer, a hand crank pasta roller or, at a minimum, a rolling pin to roll out the sheets of pasta to make ravioli.
• Medium sauce pan and large pot
• Slotted spoon or spider spatula

Storage

Make ahead and freeze Lobster Ravioli:

These ravioli can be made in advance and frozen so that they are ready to use whenever your heart desires! To freeze, place the pre-cooked ravioli in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet tray then place the whole sheet tray in the freezer for 30 minutes to individually quick freeze. Then, transfer the ravioli to a freezer safe container or zip top bag and place back in the freezer. Since they are partially frozen, they will not stick together at this point. Please note: If you used pre-frozen cooked lobster meat, you should not refreeze it, only fresh lobster in the ravioli should be frozen.

How to cook frozen Lobster Ravioli:

To cook frozen Lobster Ravioli, no need to defrost. Simply add your frozen ravioli straight to your pot of boiling water and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. We recommend making the sauce fresh the day you plan to enjoy the ravioli.

How to store Lobster Ravioli with Lemon Cream Sauce leftovers in the refrigerator:

Store cooked ravioli and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, transfer ravioli to a saucepan and cook on low heat until heated through.

What to serve with Lobster Ravioli with Lemon Cream Sauce?

​We love this lobster ravioli as a main dish all on its own! But if you want to make this a multi-course meal for a special occasion, here are some options for dishes to serve alongside the Lobster Ravioli:

For shared appetizers, Whipped Ricotta with Pesto and Sun Dried Tomatoes or Parmesan Risotto and Mushroom Ragù Phyllo Cup Bites are great options.

We love having a nice vegetable side dish with pasta, such as this Parmesan Herb Asparagus with Prosciutto and Pine Nuts.

For a heartier meal, you can go with a surf and turf theme and serve Lobster Ravioli with this One Pan Ribeye Mushroom and Onion Skillet or Mustard Crusted Rack of Lamb. 

Lobster Ravioli Wine Pairings

For a fancy dish like this, a beautiful and bright dry white wine is a must! We prefer citrus-forward white wines like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a vibrant Pinot Grigio, or an Albariño. Because we are serving this Lobster Ravioli with a white sauce that is rich and creamy, you could also go with a Chardonnay. Another option is a dry French or Italian Rosé, which pairs well with seafood.  

FAQ

Enjoy!

We hope you enjoy this recipe for Lobster Ravioli with Lemon Cream Sauce. If you give it a try, leave us a comment below, or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!

Looking for more pasta recipes? Check these out!

• Fettuccine with Winter Spiced Cream Sauce and Rosemary Sage Meatballs
• The Best Homemade Shrimp Scampi
• Tagliatelle with Sausage Mushroom Cream Sauce
• Pumpkin Ravioli with Parmesan Sage Cream Sauce

Looking for more Italian recipe inspo?

If you want even more Italian-inspired recipes, check out our cookbook, Mangiamo, filled with 60 original recipes!

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

Here are a few of our favorite cocktails for a pre-dinner drink!

📖 Recipe

Lobster Ravioli with Lemon Cream Sauce

An elevated and gourmet Lobster Ravioli recipe with an irresistable Lemon Cream Sauce! This recipe makes about 20 (3x3 inch) ravioli.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 530 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Rolling pin, hand crank pasta roller, roller attachment
• 1 medium sauce pan
• 1 Large pot
• 1 slotted spoon or spider spatula

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 recipe Multipurpose Pasta dough

For the Filling

• ½ lb cooked lobster meat (about 1 lb of lobster tails recommended, or 2-lb whole live lobster)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup ricotta
• ½ lemon, zested
• 1 egg white
• 2 teaspoon chopped chives
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander

For the Sauce

• 1 small shallot - fine dice (20g)
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) dry white wine
• 1 ½ cups (350 ml) lobster stock (see note)
• 1 ½ cup (350 ml) heavy whipping cream
• ⅛ teaspoon cracked white pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup of finely chopped parsley (15-20g)

Instructions

 

Make the Multipurpose Pasta Dough

• Follow the instructions to make 1 recipe Multipurpose Pasta dough. The pasta dough will need to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before you roll it out into sheets for the ravioli. While your pasta dough is resting, prepare the filling. The dough can be made several hours and up to one day in advance, if needed.

Prepare the Filling

• Chop the cooked lobster meat (see notes on cooking lobster) into smaller pieces, then add it to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients under the Filling ingredient section. Pulse thoroughly until all ingredients are combined but still have a little bit of texture.
• Place the filling into a piping bag if you have one, or scoop it into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The filling can be made several hours or up to one day in advance, if needed.

Make the Ravioli

• Remove the pasta dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Next, unwrap and knead on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes by hand. Cut the dough into manageable pieces about the size of the palm of your hand. Press each piece on a flat surface with your hands to flatten it to about 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) thick (cover the pieces you aren't rolling yet in plastic wrap).
• Run each piece through a pasta roller starting with the widest setting. Fold the sheet in half and run through on the widest setting a total of three times. If it gets too wide you can fold the sides in to make it thinner. If it rips or tears, simply fold it over and start again.
• Run it through the next lowest setting two more times, folding in between. Then run the sheet through once at the next lowest setting and continue until your desired thickness is achieved. We typically roll it to the 5th lowest setting for ravioli. Every roller is different, so you may need to try out a few thicknesses to find what you prefer. Lay your pasta sheet on a flat surface dusted with flour to fill and cut your ravioli. To prevent the dough from drying out too much, we prefer to roll out one sheet at a time and make the ravioli from each sheet before rolling out another sheet.
• Alternatively, you can roll the pasta dough out with a rolling pin, but be prepared to really put some muscle into it. You want to roll the sheet out until you can see the light through it when you hold it up.
• Next add 1 tablespoon scoops of the Lobster Ravioli filling about 3 inches apart on half of the sheet. Fold the sheet in half onto your filling scoops by bringing the two short edges together. Carefully press the sheets together around each scoop of filling. Press out as much air as possible. Finally, use a ravioli cutter or a knife to cut your sheet into 3 x 3 inch squares (7.5x7.5 cm), then set the ravioli aside on a parchment-lined and lightly flour-dusted baking sheet. You should be able to get 4-6 ravioli from each quarter segment of the dough.

Prepare the Sauce

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and gently cook for a few minutes until the shallots have softened. Add the wine to deglaze and cook until there is only about a tablespoon of liquid left in the pan (approximately 4-5 minutes).
• Add the cream and lobster stock and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil turn the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until the sauce has reduce by ½ (approximately 20-30 minutes).
• Once reduced, add the lemon juice and taste for salt. Adjust seasoning if needed.
• When the sauce is at your desired consistency, lower the heat to keep warm while you cook the ravioli. Add chopped parsley into sauce right before serving.

Finish the Dish

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add about 2 tablespoon of kosher salt per every 6-8 quarts of water. The water should taste like the ocean.
• Once boiling, reduce the heat slightly to medium-high and add your ravioli (you don’t want the water boiling too much as it may break the delicate ravioli – you are looking for a medium bubble). Cook the ravioli until the desired texture, around 4-5 mins.
• To serve, place some of the sauce onto the bottom of each bowl/plate. Remove the ravioli from the water with a slotted spoon or a spider and place 5-6 on top of the sauce. Drizzle additional sauce over the top and garnish with parsley and/or chives and lemon zest.

Notes

We use lobster bouillon base since lobster stock can sometimes be a challenge to find and/or make. If using bouillon, follow directions on the container to make 1.5 cups of stock. Alternatively, use fish or seafood stock if lobster stock is unaccessible.

If using uncooked lobster tails (recommended), cook the lobster tails for about 5-6 minutes in boiling water (the larger the tail, the longer it will take). Remove the lobster tails from the water and put them in an ice bath so they stop cooking and are cool enough to handle, then use kitchen scissors to cut along the back of the shell to remove the meat.

If cooking a whole lobster, you will want to boil for 9-10 minutes for a 2-lb lobster. Here's a tip on cooking lobster in boiling water: 6-7 minutes for the first pound, +3 minutes for each pound thereafter. Then into an ice bath to stop the cooking or serve immediately. So, a 5-lb whole lobster will take 18-19 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 530kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 22gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 249mgSodium: 914mgPotassium: 417mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1895IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 222mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Homemade ravioli, Lobster ravioli sauce, seafood pasta

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Food safety

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Do not refreeze previously frozen and thawed meats.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.