This Creamy Lobster Gnocchi recipe is the ultimate date night dinner. It’s a rich restaurant quality seafood dish that is easy to make at home!
Seafood lovers and pasta fans alike will love this seafood pasta recipe!
Lobster Gnocchi is a luxurious date night dish that makes you feel like you’re out at a Michelin star restaurant. But you can easily make this standout dish easily at home, in 30 minutes!
With succulent lobster, pillowy gnocchi, and a creamy lobster sauce, this recipe is perfect for a special dinner at home. All the glitz and glamour, without the fuss! And yet, it’s fast enough to make on any busy weeknight.
And most importantly, this creamy lobster gnocchi recipe tastes amazing. Make it tonight, and fall in love with this simple yet elegant seafood pasta dinner!
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
I am absolutely smitten with this lobster gnocchi recipe! I love making Tuscan shrimp gnocchi. And I love lobster as much as I love shrimp, so I decided to make this recipe. I devoured the first recipe test, and have made it several times since!
Here’s why I think you’ll love this recipe too:
- Fast – a special dinner in under 30 minutes? Yes, please!
- Easy – The steps are super simple and easy to follow.
- Shortcuts – Storebought gnocchi makes this a quick and easy dinner.
- Delicious – The potato gnocchi is pillowy and soaks up all of that beautiful lobster flavor in a savory cream sauce.
🛒 Ingredient notes
First up: gather these simple ingredients.
- Olive oil – Use the best extra virgin olive oil you have for the best flavor.
- Gnocchi – To save time and make this a true one-pot meal, we’re using store-bought, shelf stable, uncooked gnocchi. This is the kind that you can cook right in a skillet.
- Lobster – Use the meat from two lobster tails. Or, you can buy pre-chopped lobster meat from the seafood counter at your local fishmonger or grocery store.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter.
- Shallot – I prefer to use shallot in seafood sauces because it has a milder flavor than onions. It’s not as punchy. But you can substitute yellow onion if you prefer.
- Clove garlic – You’ll need 2 cloves of garlic, but this recipe can handle 3 cloves if you love garlic as much as I do!
- Paprika – A little bit of ground paprika (the sweet, not spicy/smoky version) adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Lemon Juice – This adds a hint of brightness and acidity to balance the sauce flavors. I always love adding a bit of lemon juice (or lemon zest) to seafood dishes.
- Parmesan cheese – Adds a subtle nutty flavor to the sauce and also helps thicken the sauce.
- Heavy Cream – Combined with the butter, this is the rich sauce base. You can substitute half and half or whole milk if you prefer. See my notes below for making this dairy-free!
Optional ingredients:
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or thinly sliced fresh basil leaves.
- Serve with a healthy sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
- Add some green peas in the last couple minutes of cooking.
- Use lemon zest instead of or in addition to lemon juice for added brightness and acidity.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
A full list of ingredients and detailed instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are photos of the step-by-step cooking process so you can see how this dish is made.
- Add the olive oil to a large pan (skillet or saucepan) and heat over medium-high heat. Then add the gnocchi and cook in a single layer.
- Add the butter and continue stirring to cook.
- Sprinkle in the paprika, garlic, shallots, and add the lobster pieces. Stir until the lobster is cooked. You’ll know you have fully cooked lobster meat when it is no longer transluscent. It should change color to a thicker white and bright orange.
4. Pour in the heavy cream.
5. Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese.
6. Add the lemon juice.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley or sliced basil leaves, if desired. Serve!
👩🏻🍳 Cooking tips and recipe FAQs
Cooking tips:
- Sauce too thin? Whisk in a little all purpose flour.
- Sauce too thick? Whisk in a little chicken stock.
If you are using refrigerated gnocchi, you will need to cook it first in a large pot of boiling water.
For the most part, yes! You’ll have to check the gnocchi packaging to see if the gnocchi you have was made with dairy. But you can make a dairy free sauce by substituting dairy-free grated parmesan cheese, dairy-free heavy cream, and vegan butter. If you can’t find dairy-free heavy cream, you can substitute your favorite non-dairy milk such as almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days. The best way to reheat this dish is in a skillet over medium heat. But, you can also microwave it.
🍽 Serving ideas
This creamy lobster gnocchi dish is a divine dinner that’s perfect for celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. It’s also a luxurious date night dinner. And, it’s easy and fast enough to serve any night of the week.
Because it’s a richer, heavier dish, it’s especially delightful when served with a lighter side dish. Consider making one of these easy side dishes to serve with it:
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
This hearty, satisfying seafood gnocchi dish pairs well with a white wine that can stand up to the creaminess of this dish. I suggest pairing it with a lightly oaked Chardonnay, or a Viognier.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you’ll need:
- Large skillet – Cook this dish in a large skillet. I use a large enamel cast iron casserole skillet.
- Wooden spoon – Use a large wooden spoon to toss the ingredients together as they cook.
More seafood pasta recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Creamy Lobster Gnocchi
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces potato gnocchi, the refrigerated kind
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon finely diced shallot
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- meat from 2 lobster tails, chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the gnocchi and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring throughout so it doesn't stick to the pan.
- Add the butter and stir.
- Once the butter is almost melted, add the garlic, shallots, paprika, and lobster meat. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes, just until the lobster changes color and is no longer opaque.
- Lower the heat to medium and pour in the heavy cream. Stir.
- Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook just until the parmesan cheese has melted into the sauce.
- Pour in the lemon juice and stir to combine.
- Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
