This Lobster Ravioli with Saffron Cream Sauce is a dish to impress, not to mention, it sounds fancy. But please don’t get intimidated and turn away. It’s easier than you think and it will be ready in under 30 minutes. The good news is we got a shortcut which is the store bought Lobster Ravioli from Trader Joe’s. Mmmm… and a better news, they were $3.99 a pack! We spent around $40 for this entire home made meal for 4 which is way cheaper than eating out. Cha-ching!
For the sauce, we’ll make saffron cream sauce, which is super easy with just a few ingredients: saffron, shallots, butter, garlic, lemon, chives, heavy cream, white wine, salt and pepper. Once you learn how to make this sauce, you can improvise and use it on other things like seared scallops or fish, like sea bass.
The key to the luxuriousness of this sauce is saffron
Let’s cook some food!
Boil water in a medium sauce pan or pot, to cook the ravioli.
While waiting for the water to boil, start making the saffron cream sauce.
Melt butter over medium heat, in a deep saute pan. I like using my Le Creuset Braiser pan
Add chopped shallots and cook until soft.
Add minced garlic and chopped chives. Cook for a minute.
Add wine, stirring until the alcohol evaporates, about 2 minutes.
Add heavy cream. Whisk until it starts to thicken. About 10 minutes.
Add the saffron. Reduce heat to low.
Whisk the sauce and simmer until it thickens a little more.
Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat.
Add the ravioli into the boiling water. Cook according to the package (4-6 minutes).
Scoop and add the cooked ravioli into the sauce, and I like using my spider strainer
Transfer to serving plates and spoon with more sauce. Garnish with more chives and serve with some wine. Enjoy!
I like white wine and since we used it in the dish, it makes sense to drink the rest.
I really hope you give this Lobster Ravioli with Saffron Sauce recipe a try, and let me know how it goes. The recipe card and comment box is below.
- 2 packs of Trader Joe's lobster ravioli
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives, plus more to garnish
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup of good dry white wine
- 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon saffron
- ½ lemon, juiced
- salt
- pepper
- Boil water in a medium sauce pan or pot, to cook the ravioli.While waiting for the water to boil, start making the saffron cream sauce.
- Melt butter over medium heat, in a deep saute pan. Add chopped shallots and cook until soft.
- Add minced garlic and chopped chives. Cook for a minute.
- Add wine, stirring until the alcohol evaporates, about 2 minutes.
- Add heavy cream. Whisk until it starts to thicken. About 10 minutes.
- Add the saffron. Reduce heat to low. Whisk the sauce and simmer until it thickens a little more.
- Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat.
- Add the ravioli into the boiling water. Cook according to the package (4-6 minutes).
- Scoop and add the cooked ravioli into the sauce, stir to coat.Transfer to serving plates and spoon with more sauce. Garnish with more chives.
I just made this for NYE tonight. My boyfriend and I really enjoyed it! I used different lobster ravioli. The sauce had a nice flavor but I may have used too much lemon so I added more butter. It was also not as thick as I expected, but I may not have whisked enough.
I’m so glad you liked it! And thanks for sharing. More butter never hurt. 😄 For the sauce, it will get thicker if you leave it to reduce on the stove on low. Have a very Happy New Year.
Hi, Catherine, I have never whisked this recipe. What makes a difference in thickness seems to be: be sure to cook down the wine and 2, once you have added the cream, let the recipe simmer (bubbling a little) for about 10 minutes. In that time, the sauce thickens. I also add 2 sprinkles of cayenne pepper at the end for a little bite but that is according to your taste.
Made this tonight. Husband loved it! I did half the recipe, since it was just the two of us. Paired it with a nice green salad an it was perfect. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Lyn! You’re welcome. I’m so glad you guys liked it. 🙂
Hello! I have a quick question. I have never used saffron before. I see different ways to prepare it for use. For this recipe do I just use the threads in the sauce or should I let them bloom in warm water first? The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon, I wasn’t sure if I should grind a teaspoon of threads, use whole threads, and to bloom or not. Thanks!
I just put the dried threads in the sauce. 🙂 No need to grind or put them in water first. Hope you enjoy it!
Thank you! That’s what I did. I used about half a tea spoon of loose threads and it came out perfect.
I’m glad. It’s one of my favorite recipes and really easy. 🙂
Traditional New Year’s Eve dinner. Add steamed asparagus and it’s perfect with Champagne. Couldn’t be easier or yummier! Cheers!
That sounds amazing. Have a very Happy New Year. Thanks for your support and sharing the love of cooking and eating yummy food! 🙂
I am a lobster ravioli fanatic. The sauce HAS to be a saffron cream sauce. This was delicious… as good as the authentic Italian restaurants I frequent 🙂 Thanks for this recipe!!!
Awesome. I’m so glad you liked it! It is my go-to quick “fancy” recipe! 🙂
What type of wine is best to use?
Any white wine that you’d love to drink. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. 🙂
This was outstanding! I used about half a teas spoon of saffron threads directly into the sauce. I think it came out perfect. I also used a different ravioli. I found a local store that sold Pastola raviolis so I used those.
I’m so glad you loved it and Pastola raviolis sounds amazing!
I made this recipe but added half of cup of Parmesan cheese and 4 Campari tomatoes diced and was amazing
That sounds amazing, Susan. I am glad you liked it and thanks for sharing! 🙂
HUGE fan!!! What a fabulous recipe! I did amp it up a bit…shrimp shells to butter for a great sauce…and a splash of Calvados with a pat of butter, to finish….DEELISH! Cheers & enjoy!
So glad to hear, MJ. I just got more lobster ravioli from Trader Joe’s and can’t wait to make it for dinner tonight.
Is this sauce freezable? I’ve quite a bit left over and don’t want to waste it
Thanks in advance
Hi Claire, I usually do not freeze cream sauce. I think the texture is changed when you reheat it, and not just this recipe but for any cream sauce. 🙂