This Lobster Pasta is the perfect summer pasta dish—loaded with fresh sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, and loads of fresh basil. It’s also a great way to indulge in lobster and feed a hungry family without breaking the bank. Every bite is fresh, perfectly creamy, and and incredibly flavorful.
Ingredients
Lobster: You have a couple of options here. You can either use fresh tails, which is our preferred method. You’ll need 4–5 tails. You can also use whole lobsters, which will require about 2–3 lobsters and a lot of work, or for a quick and delicious shortcut, use Luke’s frozen lobster meat. Whichever route you go, you’ll need about 8 ounces cooked lobster meat when all is said and done.
Pasta: bucatini is the perfect pasta for this Lobster Pasta because it holds up well to all the other ingredients while featuring a tiny hole that can suck up some of the taste crème fraîche sauce. Spaghetti would also work.
Sweet Corn: fresh sweet corn adds tons of flavor and texture! In a pinch you can use frozen—you’ll need 2 cups.
Garlic: sliced fresh garlic adds a touch of garlic flavor without overpowering the other delicate flavors.
Red Pepper Flakes: for a touch of heat that enhances but doesn’t take away from the lobster. If you’re worried about spice, start with ¼ teaspoon and offer more on the side for serving.
Tomatoes: cherry tomatoes are what you’re looking for! You can also use grape tomatoes, though we like the jaminess of cherry tomatoes.
Crème Fraîche: this adds tang and richness to the sauce. You’ll need one 8-ounce container of crème fraîche.
Parmesan: fresh grated Parmesan adds a nice salty note to the pasta. Stir some into the warm pasta then be sure to top each serving with a bit more.
Basil: fresh basil rounds out all of the flavors here. If you’ve got other herbs on hand, feel free to give them a try. Chives, thyme, and a bit of oregano would also be delicious.
How to Make Lobster Pasta
- Cook the lobster and make a lobster stock for cooking the pasta! Two birds, one stone. Simply boil the lobster tails in water for about 6 minutes. Pull them out and let them cool.
- In the boiling water (that the lobster was cooked in), add salt and the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente. This will take about 10 minutes, but use the package instructions.
- Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water then drain the pasta. In the now-empty pot, add butter, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until it’s fragrant then stir in the corn and corn “milk.” Cook the sweet corn until it’s bright yellow and tender, but not browned.
- Add in cooked pasta, cooked lobster, tomatoes, crème fraîche and some of the reserved pasta cooking water; toss it all together and add more pasta water to reach the desired sauce consistency.
- Stir in the Parmesan and basil then season the dish with additional salt and pepper to taste.
What to Serve with Lobster Pasta
Pair this lobster bucatini with a light and flavorful side salad. We like to pair our Butter Lettuce Salad with this dish but our Fennel Salad would also be stellar.
In keeping with the summer menu, use up all the veggies from your garden to make our Garden Salad.
Balance out all of the savory flavors and serve this lobster pasta with our Tomato and Watermelon Salad or our Fresh Strawberry Salad with Basil.
For something super crunchy, try our Celery Salad. Simple but delicious!
Lobster Pasta Recipe
Description
Ingredients
- 5 fresh lobster tails, or 8 ounces cooked lobster meat
- 1 pound dried bucatini
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 ears corn
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 ounces crème fraîche
- 1 cup finely grated parmesan, divided
- ⅓ cup torn fresh basil leaves + more for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. If using fresh lobster tails, add 5 lobster tails to boiling water and cook 6 minutes. Using tongs, transfer tails to a bowl and let cool.
- Season boiling lobster water heavily with salt and add 1 pound bucatini; cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Wipe out pot and return to stove top.
- Remove and discard husks and silk from 3 ears of corn. Cut off kernels (should get about 2 cups). Using back of a chefs knife, scrape cobs to collect the little sweet bits of kernel and “milk” (this should yield about 3 tablespoons); reserve. Discard cobs.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat in a now-empty pot. Add 2 cloves sliced garlic and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in corn (and scraped bits) and reduce heat to low. Cook until corn is sweet and soft but not browned, about 8–10 minutes.
- Once lobster is cool enough to handle, crack open shell and remove meat; you should get at least 8 ounces lobster meat. Dice the lobster meat.
- Add lobster, 1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes, cooked pasta, 8 ounce crème fraîche and ½ cup pasta water; toss to coat. Increase heat to medium and cook until sauce is slightly thickened; season to taste with salt and pepper, adding a touch more pasta water if necessary to coat noodles. Remove from heat and fold in ½ cup Parmesan and ⅓ cup torn basil leaves.
- Spoon into pasta bowls and top with remaining Parmesan, more fresh basil and cracked black pepper.
Equipment
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Other Seafood Recipes to Try
Fish & Seafood
Seafood Soup
20-Minute Meals
Cajun Shrimp – A Quick and Easy Recipe
Soups, Stews & Chilis
Creamy Shrimp Bisque
Fish & Seafood
