Jan 20, 2023, Updated Jun 10, 2024
What Sauce Goes with Lobster Ravioli?
This lobster-stuffed pasta comes in vacuum-sealed packaging at lots of mainstream grocery stores now (get it at Costco and Superstore in Canada, Trader Joe’s in the US). It is such a treat for lobster lovers. Adding lobster ravioli to your cart, though, begs the question – what is the best sauce to serve with lobster ravioli? This is it. This sauce goes so well with lobster ravioli. The creamy, silky sauce is wonderful in this dish because the subtle flavors don’t take from the lobster’s delicate taste (like a bolder tomato sauce or a garlic butter sauce can). I went with natural pairings that I love with whole, fresh lobster, like butter and lemon.
The Ingredients
Here’s some guidance around the ingredients you’ll need for this lobster ravioli sauce:
Butter. This is what is going to bring out the sweetness in the shallots and give the sauce its beautiful sheen. I love dairy butter in this dish, but you could use plant-based butter as well. Shallot. You can switch this out for white onion if you like. Cream. Use a heavy cream or at least 35% medium fat cream to ensure the cream does not curdle with the addition of lemon juice. Substituting milk or light cream will lead to a split sauce. Lemon. Use both the zest and the juice (but not all of the juice – see recipe notes). Grate the zest very finely. I love to use a microplane for this, but the smallest holes on a box grater will work, too. Black pepper. A little crack of black pepper gives this sauce a little bit of heat. Parmesan cheese. Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano). The powdery Kraft stuff won’t give you the same flavor and will make the sauce too salty. Fresh Parsley. Other fresh herbs like chives are a great alternative. I like to use Italian parsley.
How To Make This Lobster Ravioli Sauce Recipe
Make Ahead Instructions
This is a pretty simple and quick dish to put together but here are a few steps you could take in advance:
Chop your chives (or parsley) up ahead of time. They will keep well in the refrigerator overnight or in the freezer. Chop up your shallots and keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Zest and juice your lemon a few hours before you need them.
Storage Instructions
Allow your pasta and sauce to cool before packing it into an airtight container. You will need to keep it in the fridge. You can gently reheat the pasta and sauce in the pot or microwave but beware that the sauce can split if heated too quickly.
Variations
Serve this creamy sauce with shrimp or chicken ravioli. Make a brown butter sauce version by separately browning the butter, then pouring it into another dish. Add 1 tbsp oil to the pot to saute the shallots and return the browned butter at the end. Make your own homemade pasta dough and lobster ravioli if you’re feeling very adventurous. Try this sauce with fresh tarragon instead of parsley as a posh combo. Stir a little ribbon pasta and poached lobster meat through this same sauce. Cook a little chopped chorizo or bacon with the shallots for a twist on this recipe. Add a splash of dry white wine instead of lemon juice.
Here are a couple of queries that tend to pop up:
Pro Tips and Tricks for AMAZING Lobster Ravioli Sauce
Start with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste and add up to 1 tbsp more if you like (it will be quite lemony at that point; I do like it both ways). Reserve the remaining lemon juice for something else. Reserve a bit of the lobster pasta water to thin it out if you like (and bonus: the water also has lobster flavor). Don’t allow the cream to boil rapidly once you’ve added the lemon juice or the sauce will split. Simmer it gently on low to medium rather than medium-high heat.
