Friday, April 3, 2009

LOBSTER RAVIOLI WITH SHRIMP CREAM SAUCE

My son says his favorite Italian restaurant serves lobster ravioli with a plain cream sauce as the star item on its menu. I wanted a cream sauce, but with shrimp. And I only buy local fresh shrimp, not the easy-peel which is farm-raised shrimp. Farm-raised shrimp and fish are fed antibiotics and pellets for food, so I avoid them. And the taste difference is amazing. Fresh local fish and shrimp are so--- well --- fresh tasting. While the Monterey Pasta Company declares that their ravioli has no preservatives, it has to make you wonder how they can stay in a package for so long without deteriorating. Oh, well, half the meal was fresh.



A cream sauce was the right choice for this meal. Tomato sauce would have overpowered the lobster. A mild cream sauce played in with the shrimp and lobster flavors and just accented them. We both enjoyed this detour from our normal entrees, and thanks to Sam's Club, the ravioli was a decent price. One-half of the double package was 15 oz. I cooked the half package, leaving us another package for later.




Probably because I added shrimp, we had plenty left over for a second meal and we're eagerly looking forward to reheating it on another night, very soon. Served with a green leafy salad, this meal was completely satisfying, and is quick to prepare. The ravioli cook in 5 minutes, and the sauce cooks alongside it. Easy peasy.





Lobster Ravioli with Shrimp Cream Sauce
Source: Judy's Kitchen
Rating: 10 out of 10
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INGREDIENTS:
1 package (15 oz.) Lobster ravioli
2 Tbsp. Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend
1 large garlic clove, grated or minced
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup drinking-quality dry white wine
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb. shucked and deveined shrimp
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. When it's ready, add the ravioli and off the heat. You can cover the ravioli. Do not let it boil for an extended period. It's ok if it boils in the beginning, but when you off the heat, it should die down. If you cover the pan, it should cook gently in the very hot water while you prepare the sauce.

In large heavy saute pan, saute the garlic in the SB over medium heat briefly. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper, then the wine. Let the wine bubble up, then add the broth and stir till everything is mixed well. Add the shrimp and let it cook about 2 minutes, then stir in the cream, parsley, and cheese. Taste to adjust seasonings, adding more salt if necessary (If sauce is too thick, add more broth.) Don't worry about the shrimp being cooked enough. Off the heat, put the lid on and let the shrimp sit till the pasta is cooked and drained and ready for the sauce. Check the shrimp before serving to be sure it's done, but shrimp doesn't take long to cook. I used the 21-30 size which was perfect for this dish.

If desired, top with additional Parmesan cheese when serving, but don't overpower the seafood by adding too much.  Serve this with a nice green salad, if desired.

Yield:  2-4 servings  (For us, 4 servings because we are not big eaters.)






25 comments:

Donna-FFW said...

Judy- Sounds delicious! I have only tried lobster ravioli at restaurants and it wasnt with such a delicious shrimp cream sauce!! Looks wonderfully satisying!

Lyndas recipe box said...

This does sound easy and so delicious! This would make a really nice dinner for my husband and I. Thanks for a great recipe! We cannot get fresh seafood here; it's always frozen.

Debbie said...

I have never had lobster ravioli and would love to try yours. It looks delicious!

Judy said...

Lynda - Frozen shrimp is fine, just be sure to get wild-caught, not farm-raised.

Elyse said...

Judy, this sounds so delicious! Oh man, I just had a HUGE lasagna for dinner, but after reading your post, I could totally go for some lobster ravioli with cream sauce. What a delightful combination, and I love that you threw in some shrimp for good measure!

Coleens Recipes said...

That first photo is fantastic!! I've never even heard of lobster ravioli...I'll have to see if I can get it here.

Reeni said...

How clever to pair the ravioli with a shrimp sauce. It looks incredible!

Anonymous said...

Coleen,

If you have a Sam's Club nearby, you should find it there.

Diana S. said...

Hi Judy,

I was wondering about a sauce for those lobster & seafood ravioli that we picked up from Sams, as I felt a tomato based sauce would not be quite right for them, then came across your recipe in my search for an alternative. I will definately be trying it tonight! Thank you so much for the recipe :)

Melissa said...

Hi Judy!
I just made this sauce and OH MY GOD it is amazing!
I didn't have fresh parsley but I did have Rosemary... I took a chance and ade the substitute and it is delish!!
Thanks for the recipe!
Melissa

Judy said...

Melissa, I never would have thought of using rosemary. How clever of you. So glad you liked the recipe.

Anonymous said...

This is really fast, easy and delicious. Also easy to modify - I used vegetable broth instead. I didn't have any wine so I replaced with more vegetable broth. I also used canned shrimp and it was very tasty! Not as great as fresh or frozen shrimp but it was all I had on hand. I'll definitely share this recipe with friends.

Judy said...

Anonymous, thanks for the feedback, so glad the recipe worked for you.

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, may all your wishes come true!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful post, great ))

Anonymous said...

Mm, its fantastic-/

Anonymous said...

Love people who can tell their ideas clearly. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Really Gr8 ! Thanks For sharing..

Brian Joura said...

Found shrimp ravioli at Sam's club and was looking for a sauce that didn't have onions in it. Found this one, which was extremely easy to make and tasted delicious.

Thank you very much for posting this!

Judy said...

Brian, thanks so much for your feedback. I noticed last time I was at Sam's Club that there was no lobster ravioli. I'll be going back to find that shrimp ravioli though, thanks for the headsup. Merry Christmas.

Loquaciouslopez said...

Sounds delightful...

My hubby and I went to Costco yesterday and found these AMAZING red stripped Lobster Ravioli! Your sauce should go perfectly with it!

Faye said...

This recipe looks very delicious.


Faye

Sanne's Stuff said...

I had could only find cheese ravioli so I got a small package of lobster and added it to the shrimp. so so good!!!! thank you for the great sauce recipe. O really dont like to cook unless its something easy! :)

Judy said...

Hi Wendy, Thanks for your comment. What a great idea you had, using cheese ravioli that anyone can find and adding lobster to the shrimp cream sauce! Sounds delicious.

Unknown said...

Made this tonight for dinner. Used regular ravioli instead of lobster because that's what I had.
I have to say, this was delicious. Used regular butter of course. Otherwise, held pretty close to the recipe the rest of the way.
Highly recommend this dish. Thanks for sharing Judy!