Viral Lobster Pasta is cooked pasta tossed in a creamy sauce made of langostino tails, garlic butter and lobster bisque for a restaurant-worthy meal made right at home.
From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito
This viral lobster pasta is the kind of dish that feels luxurious without being fussy at all. I think that’s probably why it became such a big bit hit on social media. The original recipe was made with all Trader Joe’s products. I don’t have one super close to me so I just used products from my local grocery store. It rich, creamy, and loaded with sweet, tender lobster. Well, to guess that’s not exactly 100% true.
The Langostino Tails aren’t exactly lobster but they’re a very close cousin. The little mini tails are perfect for this recipe. And please don’t second guess the lobster bisque here. I have to admit, I was a little hesitant, too. But, it was incredible! The sauce clings to every strand of pasta, giving you that perfect bite of buttery, garlicky goodness with a hint of spice every time.
Why You'll Love It
- Restaurant quality at home - This pasta feels super luxurious and impressive but is surprisingly easy to make.
- Incredible flavor — The lobster bisque creates a rich, creamy sauce while the garlic, butter and sweet cherry tomatoes add tons of flavor.
- Quick and easy - Even though it looks and tastes fancy, everything comes together without a lot of complicated steps.
- Perfect for special occasions - This is a great recipe for date night, holidays or anytime you want to make dinner feel a little extra special.
Ingredients
Heres everything you'll need to make this delicious pasta. You can find the full ingredients list along with instuctions on the recipe card below.
- Butter
- Onion, diced
- Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- Garlic, minced
- Frozen Langostino Tails, thawed and patted dry
- Lobster Bisque
- Fresh Parsley, chopped
- Spaghetti, cooked
- Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder
- Parmesan Cheese (optional)
How To Make It
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat and add the diced onion, tomatoes and minced garlic. Lightly season them with salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions and tomatoes are soft. Add the langostino tails. lightly season them with salt and pepper, also, and stir them in.
- Stir in the lobster bisque and season the sauce with salt, pepper and garlic powder and stir in the parsley. Toss the cooked pasta into the sauce until it’s evenly coated. Top with Parmesan cheese (optional), serve warm and enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Pat the langostino tails dry. After thawing, remove as much excess moisture as possible so they don't water down the sauce.
- Don't overcook the langostino. They're already cooked, so they really just need to be warmed through in the sauce. Overcooking can make them tough.
- Cook the pasta al dente. It will continue to soften slightly once it's tossed into the warm lobster sauce.
- Save some pasta water. If the sauce gets a little thicker than you'd like, add a splash of reserved pasta water until it reaches the perfect consistency.
- Taste before adding too much salt. Lobster bisque and Parmesan can both be salty, so season lightly at first and adjust at the end.
- Serve it right away. Creamy seafood pastas are at their absolute best when they're hot and freshly tossed together.
Variations
- Pasta- Use any kind of pasta for this recipe. It all works!
- Lobster Bisque- Originally, this was a meal made of all Trader Joe’s products. I used a bisque I found at my local grocery store. Feel free to use any brand that you’d like.
- Lobster- The langostino tails aren’t technically lobster. Even though they look and taste incredibly similar. If you’re like to use cooked and cubed lobster tails, go for it!
What To Serve With It
Since this lobster pasta is already rich and creamy, I like to keep the sides pretty simple. A salad is perfect for adding something light and crisp to the meal. Garlic bread is also a must for soaking up any extra lobster sauce left on the plate. Roasted asparagus, broccoli or green beans would all work really well.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, add the pasta to a skillet over low heat with a small splash of vegetable broth or heavy cream. Gently toss until warmed through. This helps loosen the sauce since the pasta will absorb quite a bit of it while sitting in the refrigerator.
Other Easy Pasta Recipes
Nothing hits the spot like a nice big bowl of comfort food. I've rounded up all my Best Pasta Recipes so you can find them easily in one place. I highly recommend the Dirty Spaghetti. It's a huge hit with those who have tried it.
Viral Lobster Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs Butter
- 1 Small Onion, diced
- 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- 12 Oz Frozen Langostino Tails, thawed and patted dry
- 16 Oz Lobster Bisque
- ¼ Cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
- 1 Pound Spaghetti, cooked
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese (optional)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Tbs Garlic Powder
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat and add the diced onion, halved tomatoes and minced garlic. Lightly season them with salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions and tomatoes are soft.
- Add the langostino tails. Lightly season them with salt and pepper, also, and stir them in.
- Stir in the lobster bisque. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and garlic powder and stir in the parsley.
- Toss the cooked pasta into the sauce until it’s evenly coated. Top with Parmesan cheese (optional), serve warm and enjoy!
sharon d schulz says
Hi Tara! I made this Monday night, substituting the Langostino tails with real lobster tail meat (because Trader Joe's was out of the Langostino tails.) Pricey, but I couldn't wait for TJ's to replenish their stock to make this!! It turned out amazing, but I am still anxious to try it with the Langostino tails. I only used two 4 oz. lobster tails, shelled and meat cut into chunks. It didn't provide a lot of "meat" as I'm sure the bag of Langostino's does, so I just cut the recipe in half. It was only for two of us anyway. 🙂 I have friends visiting next week, who are traveling back to their home in Florida. They have been in Maine for the past 6 weeks, so I thought what a great dinner this would be for them. Their last "lobster" hoorah! I hope they like it as much as I did. Thanks again for all your great recipes. Sharon from Annapolis, MD.
Al Dente Diva says
Thanks Sharon, you too!!
sharon d schulz says
THANK YOU TARA! I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT TURNS OUT. I'M EXCITED FOR THIS ONE. HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING.
Al Dente Diva says
Hi Sharon!
Thank you so so much. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. Yes I think that would work beautifully.
I just had another commenter say they thought one pound of pasta was way too much. Maybe scare it back to .75 or use your best judgment!!
I hope you love it
Al Dente Diva says
Thanks for the feedback!!!
sharon d schulz says
Hi and thank you for all of your wonderful recipes! Your blog is one of my favorites. Regarding the Viral Lobster recipe, I was going to make this tonight. Went to Trader Joe's to get the Langostino, but apparently a whole lot of other people had the same idea, and the shelf was empty! Darn! I did get the Lobster Bisque. 🙂 Do you think two frozen uncooked lobster tails, shelled, thawed and cut into bite size pieces would work instead? Sauteed in butter, with a little salt and pepper first of course. Thanks again for sharing your good eats with me. Sharon
Ally says
The flavor of this was very good. However, 1 pound of spaghetti is WAY TOO MUCH for the amount of sauce! Next time will only use 4 ounces.