Penne pasta tossed in a slightly spicy garlicky sage butter sauce topped with a lobster tail. This spicy sage garlic butter lobster penne is a great dish for special occasions and entertaining guests.
Oh boy. We’re getting a little fancy today on the blog.
We’ve established that I love all sorts of pasta, but now with all these added flavors and ingredients? I don’t think I’d ever have any other pasta dish again. At least, for the time being, anyway. Until I discover an even better combination of flavors =)
But lobster!
I’ve always associated lobster with fancy expensive dinners for special occasions. Because if you’ve ever ordered lobster at a restaurant, you know the price is ridiculous. But when you can make them at home, it doesn’t have to be, even though it can definitely look it.
Every couple weeks, I find lobster tails on sale at Safeway. They’re about $5 for one. Or you can find large lobster tails for a good price at Costco too. This dish only requires one lobster tail for two people. So really, it won’t cost you too much to make this delicious pasta dish.
The combination of sage and garlic cooked in a little bit of butter is soo savory and aromatic. Can you imagine your lobster and pasta tasting like both garlic and sage? It’s soo delicious and simple.
And especially with the holidays just around the corner, you might be entertaining a few guests. So what better way to impress your guests then a pasta dish topped with lobster tail?
In a medium sized pot, boil water and season with a little bit of salt. Add the penne, and cook them according to the directions of the package. My mini penne pasta took only 6-8 minutes until they were al dente. Just the way I like them. Soft yet still firm.
Reserve a ¼ cup of the pasta water. This will be used for the sauce. Drain the pasta once it’s cooked, and run them through cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other. Set the pasta aside for now.
Place the lobster with the shell side up on the cutting board, then slice the lobster through the shell, lengthwise.
In a medium skillet, add a little bit of butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add minced garlic (about 3 cloves) and stir until the garlic starts to brown and become aromatic.
Add the lobster halves into the skillet with the meat side down. Sear the lobster for about 5 minutes or until the shell turns bright red. Cooking lobster might sound intimidating, but it’s similar to cooking shrimp. The color changes and the meat turn from a translucent color to a solid white.
Remove the lobsters from the skillet and set aside for now.
If the garlic in the skillet you used to cook the lobster is burnt, you can dispose of it. Just wipe down the skillet with a paper towel and set the skillet back on the stove.
Add a little bit of butter over medium sized heat and allow it to melt. Add minced garlic and several sage leaves to the butter. Cook until the garlic has turned golden brown and both garlic and sage have become aromatic.
Add the pasta to the sauce along with a little bit of olive oil and the reserved pasta water. Season with salt and crushed red pepper. Toss until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Now, you can top the pasta with the half lobster tail. Or you can remove the lobster from its shell and toss it with the pasta. Either way, this dish will taste amazing.
I can’t wait for you to try this!
Enjoy!
- 1 ½ cup dry pasta (penne, rotini, elbow)
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 4oz lobster tail (or larger)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 10 large sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Salt to taste
- Finely chopped parsley for garnish
- In a medium sized pot, boil water and season with a little bit of salt. Add the penne, and cook them according to the directions of the package. Once the pasta is cooked to your liking, reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water and drain the rest of the water. Run the pasta through cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other. Set the pasta aside for now.
- Place the lobster with the shell side up on the cutting board, then slice the lobster lengthwise through the shell.
- In a medium skillet, add about a tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add minced garlic (about 4 cloves) and stir until the garlic starts to brown and become aromatic.
- Add the lobster halves into the skillet with the meat side down. Sear the lobster for about 5 minutes or until the shell turns bright red. Remove the lobsters from the skillet and set aside for now.
- If the garlic in the skillet you used to cook the lobster is burnt, you can dispose of it. Wipe down the skillet with a paper towel and set the skillet back on the stove.
- Add about two tablespoons of butter over medium heat and allow it to melt. Add minced garlic (about 6 cloves) and several sage leaves to the butter. Cook until the garlic has turned golden brown and both garlic and sage have become aromatic.
- Add the pasta to the sauce along with a little bit of olive oil and the reserved pasta water. Season with salt and crushed red pepper to taste. Toss until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Divide the pasta into two dishes. Top the pasta with the lobster tail halves. Or remove the lobster from its shell and toss it with the pasta.
- Serve the dish immediately warm.
great food
thanks for the recipe
Sounds like a simple summery kind of dinner. I might have to substitute the lobster though. Wonder what would be more appropriate: crab or prawns.