Looking for an elevated garlic butter sauce for lobster ravioli? This recipe complements the delicate, rich, sweet lobster with garlic, butter, bright lemon, white wine, and earthy sage. It’s simple to make and will be sure to impress!
Why You'll Love This Dish
Rich, delicate, lightly sweet lobster meat wrapped in thin, savory sheets of tender pasta--what could be better?
There's no need to buy lobster whole and break it down when there are many brands of quality lobster ravioli available pre-made. Make lobster ravioli easy! Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Costco lobster ravioli are all excellent choices.
Complement the beautiful buttery lobster with a mix of bright, fresh lemon, garlic, butter, and earthy sage. Round that out with a hint of floral acidity from white wine, and you have the best sauce for lobster ravioli I’ve ever tasted.
While some recipes suggest heavy cream, I find that a cream sauce mutes the lobster flavor a bit. This lobster ravioli sauce recipe is a more traditional butter sauce with a hint of acid from the lemon and wine, savory notes from the garlic, and some freshness from the sage. The sauce should be subtle yet tangy to balance the richness of the lobster meat.
It's quick and easy. The sauce comes together in about 15 minutes and uses only a few ingredients.
Your lobster ravioli only takes about 3 minutes to cook, depending on the brand, so you’ll have an impressive dinner on the table quicker than you can order takeout.
It's been tested. I tried several different varieties of lobster ravioli with different variations on this sauce. I tried lemon zest vs. lemon juice, creamy sauces, white sauces, a sauce without herbs.
I tried the butter over medium heat and over low heat. (OK OK, you get it!) Of every variation tested, the sauce presented here is the best to serve with lobster ravioli.
It’s also versatile. Not in the mood for lobster? Use this sauce for another seafood ravioli (crab, maybe?), for spaghetti or other pasta varieties, over scallops or other fish, on chicken… options abound.
This is perfect for many occasions, such as a fancy dinner party, a date night at home, or just as a weeknight treat!
Pair with some easy sides, like a salad and or some sautéed vegetables, for an amazing meal that your family and friends will absolutely love.
Jump to:
What You'll Need
- Butter I prefer to use unsalted butter so that I can determine the level of salt in the dish.
- Garlic Fresh garlic is best, but if you don’t have access to it, try this jarred chopped garlic.
- White Wine I used a Pinot Gris, but any dry white wine - something you would drink - would be excellent here.
- Lemon Again, fresh is best, but you can also try bottled lemon juice in this recipe.
- Fresh Sage Leaves
- Pasta Water Be sure to reserve some of the pasta water from your ravioli before you strain it.
- Kosher Salt My favorite brand is Diamond Crystal kosher salt. It coats food better and has a less concentrated flavor than other salts, making it harder to oversalt your food.
- Lobster Ravioli This sauce is also great with other seafood pasta, fish dishes, regular pasta like spaghetti, and even chicken.
How to Make Sauce for Lobster Ravioli
Step One To make the sauce, melt the butter. Cook at a low simmer over medium-low to low heat.
Step Two Add the garlic and the sage.
Step Three Add the lemon juice and the wine. Cook for several minutes on medium-low to low heat, until a bit of the alcohol flavor has cooked out of the sauce. Season with salt.
Step Four In the meantime, cook the lobster ravioli to package directions. Reserve some of the pasta water before you drain the ravioli.
Step Five Slowly stir in a bit of the pasta water at a time. This will help to thicken the sauce. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens a bit. It should lightly coat the back of a spoon.
Step Six Add the ravioli to the pan with the brown butter sauce. Coat well and serve right away.
FAQ
Garlic butter sauce, lemon butter sauce, and white wine sauce for ravioli are the most popular choices. In this recipe, all of these flavors and warm, earthy sage combine for what I believe to be the best lobster ravioli sauce - buttery, bright, and wonderfully balanced.
My family does! And yes, ravioli is commonly served with a sauce or a broth in traditional Italian cooking.
You can. Check package directions for how to prepare. I tested this recipe with several different types of ravioli, and the texture remained good in each with frozen lobster ravioli.
Try something light, like a fresh salad or sautéed greens. Check out the How to Serve section below for more suggestions!
Absolutely! Try it on different seafood dishes, different pasta, and even chicken.
Variations
Different Herbs If you can’t find sage, try adding a bit of fresh thyme. It will be a more delicate flavor, but still delicious.
Spicy Add a pinch of red pepper flake to the sauce for a hint of heat.
Different Wine Try different varieties of white wine to see what you like best. Alternately, omit the wine and add an additional squeeze of lemon.
Shallot Add more sweetness to this sauce with some finely chopped shallot. This should be added at the same time as the garlic.
How to Store
Fridge Cooked lobster ravioli itself will last in the fridge for about 3 days. However, it cooks so quickly you may want to wait until ready to eat to cook it.
The lobster ravioli sauce will last for the same amount of time. Store the sauce and pasta separately to maintain the texture of the pasta.
To reheat, let the lemon butter sauce come to room temperature and then heat on medium-low to low heat on the stove until warmed through.
Freezer I would not freeze cooked lobster ravioli. You can store uncooked ravioli in the freezer.
You can make this sauce in advance, cool, and then pour into ice cube trays. Freeze completely then store in a gallon freezer bag or other freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge and then reheat on the stovetop as above.
How to Serve
Of course, sauce for lobster ravioli is best on, well, lobster ravioli. Below are some other suggestions for using this sauce, and sides to fill out your dinner table:
Pasta Try a different seafood pasta, such as crab or scallops. It's even good without the lobster as a sauce to go on plain pasta, like spaghetti or angel hair.
Chicken This sauce is delicious over chicken paillard, or chicken breast pounded very thin, would be fantastic with this sauce.
Salad A light, simple side salad is a perfect pairing for lobster ravioli.
Air Fryer Toast Use some Air Fryer Toast, regular toast, or bread of your choice to sop up the delicious sauce.
Roasted Vegetables Looking for a warm vegetable side? Try this Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli or these Roasted Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine.
Sautéed Greens This Garlicky Sautéed Cruciferous Crunch is a wonderfully versatile side that would be excellent with this lobster ravioli.
Looking for more seafood dishes? Try this delicious Bloody Mary Shrimp!
Expert Tips
- Pay close attention to your sauce and stir frequently. You’ll want the butter browned, but you will not want your garlic to get too dark or the sauce will become bitter.
- Taste your food! If you’re using salted butter, definitely taste the sauce before adding any additional salt.
- Use wine that you would be happy drinking. This will ensure the quality of your sauce. If you’re using a wine that you don’t particularly like, your sauce will not be the best it can be.
- If cooking the ravioli from frozen, you may need to either defrost in the fridge before cooking or add a few minutes to your cook time. Check your packaging for directions.
More Recipes You'll Love
If you're in the mood for more pasta recipes, try some of these:
📖 Recipe
Sauce for Lobster Ravioli
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan
Ingredients
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 clove garlic large, finely chopped
- 4 sage leaves fresh, sliced widthwise into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon white wine
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup pasta water
- kosher salt to taste
Pasta
- 1 package lobster ravioli about 9 ounces
Instructions
- Melt the butter in your pan over medium-low to medium heat.
- Add the garlic and sage, and cook for about 1 minute, until the garlic has softened and is fragrant.
- Add the lemon juice and wine. Cook for about 5 minutes until the wine taste is less sharp and the butter lightly browns.
- In the meantime, cook ravioli in a large pot of salted, boiling water. If your ravioli is frozen, you may need to thaw before cooking. Your ravioli should float to the top when finished. Before draining, reserve about ¼ cup of pasta water.
- Set the cooked ravioli aside and drizzle with a bit of olive oil if needed so they don't stick.
- Add the pasta water little by little into the sauce, stirring constantly. Continue cooking for several minutes until the sauce thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon and appears glossy.
- Add the lobster ravioli directly to the sauce, coat well, and serve.
Notes
- Estimated calories are for sauce only. Consult your packaging for calories in ravioli.
- Pay close attention to your sauce and stir frequently. You’ll want the butter browned, but you will not want your garlic to get dark or the sauce will be bitter.
- If you’re using salted butter, taste the sauce before adding any additional salt.
- Use wine that you would be happy drinking. This will ensure the quality of your sauce.
- Cooked lobster ravioli itself will last in the fridge for about 3 days. The sauce will last the same amount of time.
- Store the sauce and pasta separately to maintain the texture of the pasta.
- I would not freeze the cooked lobster ravioli. You can store uncooked ravioli in the freezer.
- The sauce can be cooled and then poured into ice cube trays. Freeze completely then store in a gallon freezer bag or another freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
- From fridge To reheat, let the lemon butter sauce come to room temperature and then heat on medium-low to low heat on the stove until warmed through.
- From freezer Defrost overnight in the fridge and then reheat on the stovetop as above.
Kay says
This is so good!! Simple instructions! Loved it 😊
Genevieve says
Thanks Kay! Glad you liked it!
Journa Liz Ramirez says
My family was impressed with this sauce for lobster ravioli. It was so satisfying and good. I'll surely have this recipe on repeat. Thanks Gen!
Genevieve says
Thank you, Journa!
Wendy says
This was unbelievably good. Thanks so much.
Genevieve says
Thank you, Wendy! Glad you enjoyed it.
Sherrie says
This is spot on! So delicious and savory and yum! Thank you!
Genevieve says
Yay! Thanks Sherrie!
MacKenzie says
Such a simple decadent dinner idea. We enjoyed last Friday with steak. It was better than a restaurant!
Genevieve says
Oh man, that sounds fantastic! Glad you enjoyed!
Relle says
This looks awesome. Can't wait to try it.
Genevieve says
Thanks Relle!
Gail says
Loved this sauce so much! Definitely using it again with other types of pasta!
Genevieve says
Wonderful! Thank you, Gail!
Jenn says
Sometimes simple is best and this sauce is terrific and paired perfectly with the ravioli!
Relle says
These are gorgeous! Can't wait to try it.
Molly Pisula says
Love this amazing sauce! The flavors are just perfect, and it's a wonderful pairing to lobster ravioli (or even just plain pasta!). Will definitely make again.
Genevieve says
Thanks so much, Molly! Glad to hear you enjoyed it.