Today, a treat for those in a single household. I am sharing my recipe for Lobster Fettuccine Alfredo for One. So, if you are in a single household and a lobster lover, this recipe is for you! I don’t often make meals just for one or two servings as my preference is to batch cook larger quantities and freeze them. However, some dishes are just simply better prepared fresh and Lobster Fettuccine Alfredo is one of them. Note that, while this recipe is scaled for one serving, the recipe is very scalable so it can be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, and so forth for the number of servings needed.
As a wee bit of background I learned from some research into the origins of Fettuccine Alfredo, it seems the creation of the original Fettuccine Alfredo dish is credited to a Roman restaurateur, Alfredo di Lelio, c. early 1900s. The original Italian recipe is reputed to have been made only with pasta, butter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese emulsified by the addition of some pasta water. The story goes that it became a popular dish with tourists from abroad and, like many now globally-known dishes around the world, Fettuccine Alfredo travelled and made its way to America. When it arrived, however, it was discovered that American butter was found to be less rich than its Italian counterpart. So, in an effort to replicate the rich texture of the original Italian version, heavy cream was added to the recipe and this is an ingredient we typically associate with Fettuccine Alfredo today. Lovely all on its own, it’s not uncommon for cooked chicken or seafood (like scallops, shrimp, or lobster, for example) to be added to the Fettuccine Alfredo dish.
The most luxurious of the ingredients in Lobster Fettuccine Alfredo is, of course, the lobster meat. I use ¼ pound, or about 113 grams, of cooked lobster meat per serving. I am lucky in that I live where lobster fishing is one of our main seafood industries and we have two fishing seasons a year in Prince Edward Island – one in early spring and one mid-summer so fresh lobster is readily available at local fish markets. Some of those markets will sell cooked lobster meat cleaned from the shells and that is a huge convenience.
During lobster season, some local markets will sell small ¼ pound/113gram single serving containers of pure cooked lobster meat (pictured below) and that is what I use for this recipe for one. Cleaning lobster from the shell, apart from being a bit of a messy job, is also uncertain as to how much actual meat will be gleaned from the shell. Buying the meat, already shelled, guarantees the right amount for a recipe. As a general guideline only, a canner-sized lobster should yield enough lobster for this dish for one serving. If it is not exactly ¼ pound (113 grams), or it happens to be a bit more, it is not a big deal for this particular recipe.
The Alfredo Sauce is not difficult to make and does not require a lot of ingredients. Use 35% – 36%M.F. whipping cream for this recipe because you want the sauce to be thick enough to cling to the pasta and not be soupy. As such, fat-reduced dairy products are not recommended for this recipe. After the pasta has been cooked, save about 1 to 1½ tablespoons of the pasta water in case any is needed to loosen the sauce if it is found to be too thick to properly toss with the pasta. It is unlikely that the entire 1 – 1½ tablespoons of the pasta water will be needed so start by mixing in ½ teaspoon at a time (if it is needed at all) until the sauce is of desired consistency for coating the pasta.
Freshly grate the Parmesan Cheese for this recipe. For best flavor and texture, I do not recommend the pre-grated packaged cheese. Freshly grated is always the best, in my opinion, and if you are going to make a luxurious lobster-based dish, use the good ingredients all around.
I like to use my Garlic and Onion Chive Butter (recipe here) (pictured above) in this recipe because of the flavor notes it offers. However, plain butter can certainly be used in the sauce as well as for warming the lobster meat. If using plain butter, I recommend sautéing a shallot and some minced garlic with the butter used to warm the lobster meat. This will add flavor notes to the dish.
I have listed Old Bay Seasoning as an optional ingredient. It’s an all-purpose spice blend that is very versatile and is often used in seafood dishes. If you have it in your pantry, I recommend using it but, if not, I would not go out and buy it specifically for this recipe because only a small amount is called for. I find it adds flavor but the dish will still be fine without it.
When I make this dish, I gently fold most of the lobster meat into the pasta and sauce to coat the lobster. I like to reserve the claws to lay on top of the plated pasta for presentation purposes. I typically serve Lobster Fettuccine Alfredo with crusty bread and a side green salad dressed simply with a light vinaigrette.
I would class this as a relatively easy-to-make dish as there is nothing overly complicated about the method and not a lot of ingredients required. When you have no one but yourself to please, this decadent and delicious restaurant-quality Lobster Fettuccine Alfredo is a lovely indulgent treat you can make right in your own kitchen. Another great way to serve and enjoy delicious lobster!
Lobster Fettuccine Alfredo For One
Ingredients:
2½ ounces (apx. 70g) dry fettucine pasta
¼ lb (apx. 113g) cooked lobster meat, bite-sized pieces
3 tbsp butter (Garlic and Onion Chive Butter is recommended), split into two 1½ tablespoon pieces
1/3 cup whipping cream (35% – 36%M.F.)
½ oz (14 g) fresh finely grated Parmesan Cheese (reserve 1 – 1½ tbsp)
Pinch nutmeg, to taste
Pinch Old Bay Seasoning (optional), to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley or chives for garnish (optional)
Method:
Boil water in medium-sized pot for pasta.
In small saucepan, melt 1½ tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat then add the cream. Stirring frequently, bring mixture to the steaming point but do not boil. Reduce heat to low and stir constantly for apx. 2-3 minutes until sauce starts to thicken.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, stir all but 1 – 1½ tablespoons of the grated Parmesan cheese into the sauce and cook over low heat for 5-8 minutes. Stir often until cheese is melted and the mixture is thick and creamy. Stir in the nutmeg and Old Bay Seasoning (if using) and salt and pepper, to taste.
As the sauce is cooking, melt the remaining 1½ tablespoon of butter in small non-stick skillet set over medium-low heat. If using plain butter instead of Onion and Garlic Chive Butter, add 1 tbsp finely chopped shallot and sauté over medium-low heat for about a minute then add 1-2 cloves minced garlic (or to taste) and sauté for about 20 seconds until fragrant. Stir briskly and do not let garlic scorch. Reduce heat to low and add the lobster meat, heating just until warmed, 1-2 minutes.
Drain pasta, reserving 1- 1½ tablespoons of the pasta water.
Transfer drained fettucine to a warm bowl and add the alfredo sauce, tossing mixture gently to coat the pasta. If sauce is too thick, add a wee bit of the reserved pasta water, about ½ teaspoon at a time, to loosen the sauce to desired consistency. Gently fold in most of the lobster to coat with the sauce, reserving the claws to dress the top of the pasta for plating presentation purposes.
Plate the pasta and garnish with reserved 1 – 1½ tablespoons of grated Parmesan Cheese and chopped fresh parsley or chives, if desired, along with the reserved lobster claws. Serve with crusty bread of choice and a side green salad, if desired.
Yield: 1 serving
NOTE: This recipe is easily scalable to the number of servings needed.
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Lobster Fettuccine Alfredo for One
Ingredients
- 2½ ounces (apx. 70g) dry fettucine pasta
- ¼ lb (apx. 113g) cooked lobster meat, bite-sized pieces
- 3 tbsp butter (Garlic and Onion Chive Butter is recommended), split into two 1½ tablespoon pieces
- 1/3 cup whipping cream (35% – 36%M.F.)
- ½ oz (14 g) fresh finely grated Parmesan Cheese (reserve 1 – 1½ tbsp)
- Pinch nutmeg, to taste
- Pinch Old Bay Seasoning (optional), to taste
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley or chives for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
-
Boil water in medium-sized pot for pasta.
-
In small saucepan, melt 1½ tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat then add the cream. Stirring frequently, bring mixture to the steaming point but do not boil. Reduce heat to low and stir constantly for apx. 2-3 minutes until sauce starts to thicken.
-
Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions.
-
While the pasta is cooking, stir all but 1 – 1½ tablespoons of the grated Parmesan cheese into the sauce and cook over low heat for 5-8 minutes. Stir often until cheese is melted and the mixture is thick and creamy. Stir in the nutmeg and Old Bay Seasoning (if using) and salt and pepper, to taste.
-
As the sauce is cooking, melt the remaining 1½ tablespoon of butter in small non-stick skillet set over medium-low heat. If using plain butter instead of Onion and Garlic Chive Butter, add 1 tbsp finely chopped shallot and sauté over medium-low heat for about a minute then add 1-2 cloves minced garlic (or to taste) and sauté for about 20 seconds until fragrant. Stir briskly and do not let garlic scorch. Reduce heat to low and add the lobster meat, heating just until it is warmed, 1-2 minutes.
-
Drain pasta, reserving 1- 1½ tablespoons of the pasta water.
-
Transfer drained fettucine to a warm bowl and add the alfredo sauce, tossing mixture gently to coat the pasta. If sauce is too thick, add a wee bit of the reserved pasta water, about ½ teaspoon at a time to loosen the sauce to desired consistency. Gently fold in most of the lobster to coat with the sauce, reserving the claws to dress the top of the pasta for plating presentation purposes.
-
Plate the pasta and garnish with reserved 1 – 1½ tablespoons of grated Parmesan Cheese and chopped fresh parsley or chives, if desired, along with the reserved lobster claws. Serve with crusty bread of choice and a side green salad, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Yield: 1 serving
Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen
NOTE: This recipe is easily scalable to the number of servings needed.
If you enjoy lobster, check out these other fabulously delicious lobster recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen (click link below)
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