This easy Lobster Ravioli Sauce is made from only a few simple ingredients yet tastes so decadent. This cream sauce is full of crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, and grated parmesan cheese. Serve it over fresh store-bought ravioli for the easiest “fancy” dinner at home. You can even add lobster tail meat on top.
I experimented preparing the pasta with a few different sauces from lemon brown butter sauce to a white creamy parmesan sauce, but ultimately this pink lobster ravioli sauce recipe beat the other two out. This truly is the best sauce for lobster ravioli.
If you are into no fuss cream sauce pasta recipes, try this Instant Pot fettuccine alfredo, Pink Sauce Pasta, or Pumpkin Pasta Sauce!
Craving mac and cheese? Try my super cheesy Homemade Mac and Cheese Sauce.
For a vegetarian ravioli recipe, try my Easy Butternut Squash Ravioli Sauce.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This creamy lobster ravioli sauce is loaded with grated parmesan cheese & heavy cream.
- The sauce has a beautiful pink color from the addition of crushed tomatoes.
- The acidic lemon zest and white wine help cut the richness of the dairy.
- Browned garlic and shallot elevate the flavor of this sauce.
- This dinner recipe is super decadent and feels a little fancy, but only takes about 30 minutes to make.
What Is the Best Lobster Ravioli to Buy?
It can be purchased at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. Other gourmet or specialty grocery stores should carry it as well. Rana Maine (sold at Costco) is also a popular brand. It is sometimes sold frozen.
I prefer the brand from Whole Foods, Nuovo Pasta. It has a prominent seafood flavor. Trader Joe's is a great affordable option.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- White Wine: I used Sauvignon Blanc because it is what I prefer to drink but any dry white you have on hand will do.
- Heavy Cream: You have to use heavy creamy for this recipe. Half and half will result in a sauce that is too thin.
- Parmesan Cheese: I recommend using parmesan reggiano for the best flavor.
- 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. You can also just toss this sauce with cheese ravioli or plain pasta.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Lobster Ravioli Sauce
Quick Overview
- Brown the shallot and mince garlic.
- Add in the herbs, spices, salt and pepper.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
- Add in the tomatoes, cream, and grated parmesan cheese.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: In a skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic. Sauté until browned.
Step 2: Stir in the dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
TIP - The brown bits add a ton of flavor.
Step 3: Deglaze the pan with the white white, scraping any bits off the bottom.
Step 4: Add the crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Step 5: Turn the heat to medium low. Stir in the cream and parmesan cheese. Bring to a simmer and then turn off the heat.
Step 6: Toss the lobster ravioli in the sauce and serve with fresh basil and parmesan on top.
TIP - Do not over heat the cream and parmesan or it will become grainy.
NOTE - The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
TIP - Thin sauce as needed with pasta water.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Aside from some freshly cooked lobster ravioli to toss with this sauce, bread is a must. Here are some sides to serve with lobster ravioli sauce:
- Lobster Tails - save the shells for a stock!
- Parmesan Rosemary Bread
- Cheesy Texas Toast
- Simple Kale Salad
- Bruschetta with Mozzarella
- Feta Dip
Expert Tips & Variations
- Brown the shallot and garlic. Caramelizing these adds so much flavor to the sauce.
- Use parmesan reggiano. I know this is a bit of a splurge item, but it really does have the best flavor. I recommend picking up a small chunk of it and grating it with a microplane grater. The fine pieces of cheese melt seamlessly into the sauce.
- Do not overheat the sauce. Once the cream and cheese have been added, avoid overheating the sauce. This will cause it to over thicken and potentially become grainy.
- Save some pasta water. If the sauce congeals or thickens up too much, add a small splash of pasta water to thin it out. Do not add too much or the sauce will become watery.
- Make it spicy. Add a pinch of red chili flakes or cajun seasoning.
- Add protein. Top this ravioli with sautéd shrimp or lump lobster tail meat. Most grocery stores sell 4 ounce tails you can poach in butter. The leftover shells are great for making a stock, which can be added to the sauce instead of pasta water. This will infuse the sauce with even more seafood flavor.
Storing Leftovers
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of broth or cream to thin it out if needed.
Wine Pairings
Look for a wine that is bright, crispy, light, and acidic. Any wine is better than no wine, but here are some of my go-to pairings for this ravioli:
- Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand: zesty & citrusy
- Brut Champagne or Prosecco: dry & crisp
- Rose: bright & melon notes
- Pinot Noir: fresh & fruity
Recipe FAQs
This creamy pink sauce pairs perfectly. It's creamy, but also acidic so it compliments the flavor of seafood.
Fresh ravioli takes 1-2 minutes too cook. Frozen will take 5-6 minutes.
More Sauce Recipes
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and/or comment! I always appreciate your feedback. Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook & Instagram.
Lobster Ravioli Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot, diced finely
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- ¼ cup dry white wine*
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- zest from ½ lemon, optional
- ½ cup heavy cream*
- ¼ cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving*
For Serving
- 9 ounces fresh store-bought or homemade lobster ravioli, prepared according to the instructions on the package*
- fresh basil or parsley
Instructions:
- Review all recipe notes and instructions before beginning.
- In a skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic. Sauté until browned.
- Stir in the dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Deglaze the pan with the white white, scraping any bits off the bottom.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Turn the heat to medium low. Stir in the cream and parmesan cheese. Bring to a simmer and then turn off the heat.
- Toss the lobster ravioli in the sauce and serve with fresh basil and parmesan on top.
Notes:
- Brown the shallot and garlic. Caramelizing these adds so much flavor to the sauce.
- Use parmesan reggiano. I know this is a bit of a splurge item, but it really does have the best flavor. I recommend picking up a small chunk of it and grating it with a microplane grater. The fine pieces of cheese melt seamlessly into the sauce.
- Do not overheat the sauce. Once the cream and cheese have been added, avoid overheating the sauce. This will cause it to over thicken and potentially become grainy.
- Save some pasta water. If the sauce congeals or thickens up too much, add a small splash of pasta water to thin it out. Do not add too much or the sauce will become watery.
- Make it spicy. Add a pinch of red chili flakes or cajun seasoning.
- Add protein. Top this ravioli with sautéd shrimp or lump lobster tail meat. Most grocery stores sell 4 ounce tails you can poach in butter. The leftover shells are great for making a stock, which can be added to the sauce instead of pasta water. This will infuse the sauce with even more seafood flavor.
Wow, this is perfect for Valentine's Day! My other half will be thrilled! 😉
I am always looking for a good creamy sauce, cant wait to make this.
Thank you! Enjoy!!
I made this last night for dinner and it was indeed restaurant quality. So very good. Even my very picky husband loved it. Will definitely make this again.
Yay Conni! Thank you 🙂
Hi, I just made this recipe for the first time, approximately. I made 3x the recipe because we had 3x the amount of ravioli. The "approximately" is that I skipped the inclusion of shallots and didn't brown the garlic. But the problem I'm facing is that the sauce ended up WAY too thin. I made the sauce in a 3qt saucepan, since I wanted to add the sauce over the ravioli, not add the ravioli to the pan. Any suggestions on how to modify your recipe to this scenario? Should I reduce the wine for a while after adding it, or pre-cook/reduce the crushed tomato, or ....???
Thanks in advance for any advice, it tasted great!
Hi Doug! I have never had this issue. The sauce is not super thick, but should be similar to the consistency of heavy cream. I normally do not reduce to ingredients for very long, but you can cook off more of the liquid if needed before adding the cream. Just be sure you are using full fat heavy cream and not half and half.
I made this but I chose to sub the heavy whipping cream for half and half to cut down on calories. It still came out nice and thick :).
Great!
Prepared exactly according to recipe, and the result was stunning. I tripled the sauce recipe for 26 oz of lobster ravioli, and it was a perfect dinner for 4 people. Received accolades from everyone. Highly recommended!
Thank you for leaving a comment, Tim! I am so happy the recipe was a hit.
WOW! This was a big hit tonight for dinner. Recipe was easy to follow and sauce was very flavorful.
Thank you!! 🙂
Searched high and low for a great accompanying sauce for lobster ravioli. This was such a hit with my picky family. Actual quote, “This is restaurant quality.” I am a novice cook, too. You cannot go wrong with this recipe!
Thank you so much Kimberly! This is high praise 🙂
I replaced garlic with bit pieces of shrimp along shallots…. It was a nice touch.
Great! Glad you enjoyed.
This looks amazing!
This looks absolutely amazing! I can't wait to try this recipe out.
This sauce was so delicious my son asked me to make it again the next day! I absolutely loved every element from the shallots and garlic, to the herbs, lemon, cream and cheese. I sent it to at least 5 friends and my sisters. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the review, Audrey! I am so glad that this recipe was such a hit for you and your family.
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 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.
This lobster ravioli is the perfect dinner for date night. The creamy tomato sauce complements the lobster so well!
Oh, wow, this was total decadence! The crispy garlic added such a nice touch.
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!
This is the perfect date night dish - so delicious, and simple to prepare. The creamy tomato sauce goes so well with the ravioli!