Keto Seafood Recipes · 6 min read
Lobster Pasta Recipe (With a Keto Zucchini Noodle Version)
Sweet lobster, a light tomato-cream sauce and a swap that takes the whole dish from 62 grams of carbs to nine.
By Monika L. Jensen · · Updated
Lobster pasta is the dish people order on anniversaries and then never make at home, because they assume it is difficult. It is not. It is a fifteen-minute sauce and a protein that cooks in four minutes. The only real decision is what you put it on.
The two versions
This is how every recipe in The Balanced Plate is structured. The traditional version goes over linguine at roughly 62 g of carbohydrate per plate. The keto version goes over zucchini noodles at 9 g net carbs, and the sauce and lobster do not change at all. One pan, one table, two ways to eat.
Ingredients
- 2 lobster tails (about 12 oz total), shelled and cut into large chunks
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
- Handful of fresh basil, torn
- For traditional: 12 oz linguine
- For keto: 4 medium zucchini, spiralized, or 12 oz hearts of palm pasta
Method
- If using zucchini noodles, salt them in a colander for 15 minutes and squeeze dry. This single step is the difference between zoodles and soup.
- Melt butter over medium heat, add garlic and chili flakes and cook 60 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Add wine and reduce by half, then add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes.
- Stir in cream and simmer 3 minutes until the sauce coats a spoon.
- Add lobster and cook just 3 to 4 minutes until opaque. Overcooked lobster turns rubbery fast.
- Finish with lemon zest, juice and basil. Toss with hot linguine, or fold through zucchini noodles off the heat for 60 seconds only.
How to keep zucchini noodles from going watery
- Salt and drain for 15 minutes, then squeeze in a clean towel.
- Never boil them. Residual heat from the sauce is enough.
- Plate immediately, they release water as they sit.
Nutrition at a glance
Keto version: 412 calories, 26 g fat, 31 g protein, 9 g net carbs. Traditional version: 648 calories, 24 g fat, 34 g protein, 62 g carbs. Same flavor, different plate.
Recipe card
Lobster Pasta with Keto Zucchini Noodle Option
Lobster in a light tomato-cream sauce served over linguine or zucchini noodles. Keto version is about 9 g net carbs per serving.
- Prep
- 15m
- Cook
- 15m
- Serves
- 4 servings
- Net carbs
- 9 g
Ingredients
- · 2 lobster tails (12 oz), shelled and chunked
- · 3 tbsp butter
- · 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- · 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- · 1/2 cup dry white wine
- · 3/4 cup crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- · 1/2 cup heavy cream
- · Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
- · Fresh basil
- · 4 medium zucchini, spiralized (keto) or 12 oz linguine (traditional)
Method
- 1. Prep noodles. Salt spiralized zucchini for 15 minutes and squeeze dry, or cook linguine to al dente.
- 2. Build the sauce. Melt butter, cook garlic and chili flakes 60 seconds, add wine and reduce by half.
- 3. Simmer. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes, then stir in cream and simmer 3 minutes more.
- 4. Cook the lobster. Add lobster chunks and cook 3 to 4 minutes until just opaque.
- 5. Finish. Add lemon and basil, then toss with pasta or fold through zucchini noodles off the heat.
Nutrition per serving
412 kcal · 26 g fat · 31 g protein · 12 g carbs · 9 g net carbs
Frequently asked questions
- Can lobster pasta be keto?
- Yes. Swapping linguine for salted-and-drained zucchini noodles or hearts of palm pasta brings the plate to about 9 g net carbs while keeping the sauce identical.
- Can I use frozen lobster tails?
- Yes. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and pat very dry before cooking so the sauce does not thin out.