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This Lobster Ravioli Sauce is made up of only a few simple ingredients but tastes so decadent. It is full of crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, white wine, and herbs. Serve it over lobster ravioli (or any fresh pasta) and top with crispy garlic & shallots for the perfect at home date night dish that feels kind of fancy, but could not be easier to make.
I love picking up fresh pasta from the refrigerated section at the grocery store. It is my go to for when I want to whip up something a little fancy, but I want something super easy. It is so much better than the dried stuff!
I recently discovered this lobster and crab ravioli that I am obsessed with. You can actually taste the seafood. What is your favorite kind of ravioli?
So I experimented with a few different ways to prepare it from a lemon butter to a creamy parmesan sauce, but landed on this rich creamy tomato sauce. But the real flavor boost in this dish are the crispy garlic slices and shallots.
First, I tried just sautéeing the garlic and shallot until soft and then adding them into the sauce. While this gave great flavor, I wanted some more texture. So I fried them and removed them from the pan so that they stay crunchy. These crispy bits make for the best pasta topping.
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Highlights
- Rich & decadent
- Loaded with tomatoes, white wine, heavy cream, & herbs
- Topped with crispy garlic and shallots
- Ready in 20 minutes or less
- Easy at home date night dinner that feels kind of fancy
Ingredients
- Heavy Cream: You have to use heavy creamy for this recipe. Even half and half will make the sauce too thin.
- Lobster Ravioli: I purchased mine at Whole Foods for around $7. It seems more cost effective and much easier to purchase pre-made lobster ravioli, but you are welcome to substitute it for homemade.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
Instructions
before you start . . .
- Slice the garlic & shallot. Use a sharp paring knife to slice the garlic and shallot as thin as possible. This will help them to fry better.
Step 1: In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sliced shallot in a single layer. Keeping a close eye on these, fry for 1-2 minutes or until they are a light golden brown color. Remove from the pan immediately and set aside. Repeat with the sliced garlic. If any of the pieces get too dark, discard them.
Step 2: There should be a little oil remaining in the pan. On medium heat, add the tomatoes, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until slightly thickened and bubbling.
TIP - Move the shallot and garlic around so that both sides become golden brown. Turn down the heat if they are browning too quickly.
TIP - If there is too much oil left in the pan, remove about a teaspoon or so.
Step 3: Add the white wine and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Add the heavy cream and simmer on medium until the sauce thickens a bit. Stir in the parmesan. Tear the basil into small pieces and stir in. Toss the ravioli in the sauce and top with crispy garlic and shallots.
TIP - The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Expert Tips & Recipe Notes
- Use fresh parmesan. This will ensure the parmesan melts smoothly into the sauce. Pre-grated/shredded cheeses have anti-caking agents that make them more difficult to melt.
- Keep a close eye on the shallots & garlic. These will begin to brown pretty quickly. I remove them as they brown as some will cook quicker than others.
- Be sure to let the sauce simmer. After you add each liquid, it is important to let the sauce thicken (some of the water evaporate). This will ensure the sauce is not too thin since there are no thickening agents.
- Adjust the heat as needed. The sauce should be bubbling but not at a raging boil. Turn the heat down if needed. You do not want it to burn.
- Prepare the sauce before the ravioli. Make the sauce and leave it on warm/low heat. Since the ravioli should only take about 3-4 minutes to cook, I recommend finishing the sauce before starting the ravioli. This ensures the pasta is fresh.
- Serve with a glass of white wine. Remember that wine you used for the sauce? Be sure to serve this lobster ravioli with a glass or two of it.
FAQs
The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. I find that fresh pasta does not reheat well. Only cook as much pasta as you plan to eat.
Serve with fresh warm bread and a simple salad. Try this Kale Salad or this Garlic Bread!
I recommend a creamy tomato sauce like this one. The acid from the wine and tomatoes pairs well with the seafood. You could also serve it with a creamy parmesan sauce or lemon butter, but this is my favorite way to prepare it.
To make this sauce or any sauce more creamy, add another splash of heavy cream. Be careful though because you do not want to dilute the other flavors too much.
Typically ravioli is filled with different meats, cheese, or vegetables. This lobster and crab ravioli is stuffed with cheese, lobster, and crab meat.
Fresh pasta cooks much less than dried. If you have never cooked fresh pasta before, keep a close eye on it. The ravioli will begin to float when they are done cooking. Set a timer according to instructions on the package for best results.
Related Recipes
Lobster Ravioli Sauce (Creamy Tomato)
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ - 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small shallot, sliced thinly
- 4 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup heavy cream*
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan*
- 3-4 basil leaves
- 9 ounces store-bought lobster ravioli, prepared according to the instructions on the package*
Instructions:
- Review all recipe notes and instructions before beginning.
- In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sliced shallot in a single layer. Keeping a close eye on these, fry for 1-2 minutes or until they are a light golden brown color. Remove from the pan immediately and set aside. Repeat with the sliced garlic. If any of the pieces get too dark, discard them.
- There should be a little oil remaining in the pan. On medium heat, add the tomatoes, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until slightly thickened and bubbling.
- Add the white wine and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream and simmer on medium until the sauce thickens a bit. Stir in the parmesan. Tear the basil into small pieces and stir in. Toss the ravioli in the sauce and top with crispy garlic and shallots.
This is the perfect date night dish - so delicious, and simple to prepare. The creamy tomato sauce goes so well with the ravioli!
What a great way to dress up a store-bought ravioli! This is the perfect combination of ‘made from scratch with a friendly shortcut. Bravo. Love it!
Oh, wow, this was total decadence! The crispy garlic added such a nice touch.
This lobster ravioli is the perfect dinner for date night. The creamy tomato sauce complements the lobster so well!
This sauce was amazing, I loved how creamy it was. With the lobster ravioli was just over the top, we loved it so much. Thanks for this recipe.
Wow, this was so good, felt like I was eating creamy ravioli at a restaurant! The base of the sauce is also great over other types of pasta, too, so versatile!
This looks absolutely amazing! I can't wait to try this recipe out.
This looks amazing!