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With fresh homemade pasta, this lobster ravioli tossed in a delicious tomato cream sauce is for those fancier occasions. Or if you just want a really good meal!
There really isn't much better than homemade pasta - from almond pesto fettuccine to butternut squash ravioli. Yes it is extra work, but just so satisfying to make and tastes way better to boot.
But have you had lobster pasta, or more importantly, lobster ravioli? If you haven't, you really are missing out. You've probably seen it at restaurants and debated ordering it, but just never took the plunge.
Well today hopefully inspires you to make your own version. I know for me I had been wanting to make ravioli filled with fresh lobster for quite some time. And with my seafood loving dad in town recently, I figured now was the time.
And oh boy was it worth the wait. The slight sweetness from the lobster with the richness of the of the tomato cream sauce is hard to beat.
The sauce for lobster ravioli is super important in complementing the lobster. While a tomato sauce or brown butter sauce is most common, I wanted something even more decadent with this tomato cream sauce.
But enough talking. If you want to roll up your sleeves and are looking for a great date night recipe, this homemade ravioli is the perfect choice.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour - best flour for homemade pasta.
- Eggs - helps bind the flour to form the ravioli.
- Olive oil - adds just enough liquid to form pasta dough.
- Lobster - use fresh or frozen lobster tails.
- Unsalted butter - browning the butter adds another flavor profile to this ravioli.
- Garlic - just another flavor that goes well with lobster.
- Crushed red pepper flakes - gives a slight heat to the homemade ravioli.
- Ricotta cheese - creates a creamy filling.
- Italian parsley and basil - herbs add some freshness to the lobster pasta.
- Lemon - balances the flavor of the lobster.
- Salt and black pepper - enhances the flavor.
- Shallots - sweet onions will also work.
- Crushed tomatoes - any canned tomatoes will do.
- Heavy cream - can also use whole milk to give creaminess to the sauce.
- Parmesan cheese - gives a slight nutty flavor to the sauce.
How to Make Homemade Ravioli
While homemade pasta isn't necessary, it really makes a difference. However if you want it to truly be homemade, you should take a stab at it. I used Anne Burrell's pasta dough.
- Put the flour on a clean dry surface, making a hole in the center of the flour pile that is about 8 inches wide. The wall should be 2 inches high. Crack the eggs and yolk and add to the oil as well as the olive oil, salt and water.
- Beat together the eggs, olive oil, water and salt. Slowing incorporate the flour in the the mixed eggs, being careful not to break the sides of the well.
- Once some of the flour has incorporated with the eggs, start using your hands to get everything combined. If the mixture is too dry, just wet your hands and start kneading.
- Once the dough has come together a little bit, you knead for 10-15 minutes.
- The dough will be velvety and smooth once it is done. Wrap in plastic wrap, letting it sit for 1 hour.
- Take a quarter of the dough and flatten it, dusting with flour. Set the pasta machine to the 1 setting and run the dough through.
- Fold the dough in thirds so it is thin enough to run through machine. Repeat the process one more time. Now you want to run it through the 1 setting without folding. Switch to the 2nd setting and have the dough go through the machine again. Repeat with the 3rd, 4th and 5th settings.
- Make the homemade ravioli with a ravioli press.
How to Make Lobster Ravioli
- Split the lobster in half lengthwise. Use scissors and cut along the edge of the shell to loosen all the cartilage which you discard. Brush the lobster tail with some oil oil and sprinkle salt and pepper before baking for 10-15 minutes at 425°F or until meat is firm and opaque. Remove the meat for the shell and finely chop, adding it to a bowl.
- Brown the butter over medium heat in a large skillet and cook until it is golden with a nutty flavor. Add in the crushed red pepper flakes and garlic, cooking for 30 more seconds.
- Add the butter to the bowl with the lobster and stir in the ricotta, lemon zest, Italian parsley, salt and black pepper.
- Now heat butter and oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the shallots and cook for about 5 minutes before stirring in the garlic and cooking for another 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomatoes, simmering for 15 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream, Parmesan, basil and parsley, cooking for another 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning with some salt and black pepper.
- Flour your pasta mold and lay sheet of pasta on the mold and press down to make the wells. Add 1 tbsp of filling in each well. Use your fingers to dab water along the edges and lay 2nd sheet of paper on top. Run over with a rolling pin to seal it and turn mold over to release the ravioli.
- Place the ravioli on a parchment-lined baking sheet, covering with a damp towel so it doesn't dry out. Repeat making all the ravioli. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the ravioli until they float, or about 1-2 minutes. Remove and stir in the tomato cream sauce.
Do I Have to Make My Own Pasta Dough?
No! But it’s so worth the time it takes to make for this lobster ravioli. Believe me I was scared the first time I made it, but it’s surprisingly easy!
If however you don’t want to make dough, then just use the wonton wrapper method. You can use wonton wrappers and place the filling in before sealing it and boiling.
How to Freeze Homemade Ravioli
Once you've assembled the ravioli, arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer and freeze for 1-2 hours. Then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
To cook, boil for an additional 1-2 minutes than the cooking time for fresh pasta or until the ravioli is floating.
How Do You Know When Butter is Browned?
Add the butter to the skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, it will foam up and then subside. This is when you watch carefully as lightly browned specks will start to form at the bottom of the pan. You will know the butter is ready when there is a nutty aroma.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If the meat is white, then the lobster is cooked. If it is still translucent, then the lobster needs more time to finish cooking. You can also use an instant read thermometer and if it is 140°F, it is cooked.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan to finish the sauce. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
- Use a ravioli press to get consistently sized ravioli.
- You know the ravioli is done when it floats. Don't overcook it or the ravioli will fall apart and the filling will come out.
Other Pasta Recipes
- Lemon Asparagus Ravioli
- Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- Garlic Butter Pasta
- Weeknight Bolognese
- Baked Ricotta Gnocchi
If you’ve tried this lobster ravioli or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Lobster Ravioli
Ingredients
Fresh Pasta Dough
- 1 lb all-purpose flour
- 4 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Lobster Filling
- 4 lobster tails
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb fresh pasta dough
Tomato Cream Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (28 oz can) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Fresh Pasta Dough
- Put the flour on a clean dry work surface. Make a hole in the center of the flour pile that is about 8 inches wide. The wall needs to be about 2 inches high. Crack all of the eggs and the yolk into the hole and add the olive oil, salt and water.Using a fork, beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water and salt.
- Using the fork, begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture; be careful not to break the sides of the well or the egg mixture will run all over the board. When enough flour has been incorporated into the egg mixture where it won’t go everywhere, start to use your hands to really get everything well combined. If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands and begin kneading with wet hands.
- When the mixture has really come together, then you really start kneading. You will have to knead for 10-15 minutes, really putting your weight into it.When the dough is done, it will be smooth and velvety. Once a good consistency, wrap in saran wrap and let sit for 1 hour. Once the filling is ready, set up the pasta machine attachment on the stand mixer. Take a quarter of the dough and flatten it.
- Once the filling is ready, set up the pasta machine attachment on the stand mixer. Grab 1 ball of the dough and flatten it. Dust the dough with flour. Set the pasta machine to 1 and run the dough through. Fold the dough into thirds, making sure you thin in out again. Run through the machine, short end first. Fold into thirds again and run through the machine one more time. Now run through the 1 setting without folding the dough ahead of time. Switch to the 2nd setting and roll the dough through the machine again. Switch to the 3rd setting, run the dough through, then the 4th setting and then the 5th setting. The big thing is to make sure you flour the dough if it gets too sticky.
- Now heavily flour your pasta mold, otherwise it will stick when done! Lay one sheet of pasta on the mold and either use an egg to make a well or the plastic piece that comes with the mold to make the wells. Take 1 tbsp of the filling and place it in each well. Use your fingers or a brush to dab some water along all of the edges of the ravioli. Lay a second sheet on top and run over with a rolling pin to seal. (Don't press too hard, other wise it could stick to mold) Turn mold over to release the ravioli. More than likely they won't be fully separated so use a pizza cutter to cut the rest. Line the ravioli on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Repeat until all the ravioli is prepared. (You can freeze ravioli at this point. I usually freeze about half as there are only 2 of us)
Lobster Filling
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Split lobster tails in half lengthwise. With cut side up and using scissors, cut along the edge of shell to loosen the cartilage covering the tail meat from the shell; remove and discard cartilage. Brush with some olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for 10-15 minutes or until meat is firm and opaque. Remove the lobster meat from the shell, finely chop it and add to large bowl.
- In a large skillet, brown the butter over medium heat, stirring often until the butter is golden and has a nutty flavor, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook another 30 seconds. Remove the butter from the heat and add to the bowl with the lobster. Stir in the ricotta, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Set the filling aside.
Tomato Cream Sauce
- Bring large pot of salted water to boil for ravioli.
- Heat the butter and oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and cook on low for 15 minutes. Add the cream, Parmesan, parsley and basil and cook on low for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Boil the ravioli for about 1-2 minutes or until the float. Remove ravioli and stir in the tomato cream sauce. Top with some additional cheese and herbs if desired.
Notes
- If the meat is white, then the lobster is cooked. If it is still translucent, then the lobster needs more time to finish cooking. You can also use an instant read thermometer and if it is 140°F, it is cooked.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan to finish the sauce. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
- Use a ravioli press to get consistently sized ravioli.
- You know the ravioli is done when it floats. Don't overcook it or the ravioli will fall apart and the filling will come out.
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