I haven’t posted for awhile since I have been traveling with my husband and son, who is visiting with us from Australia. One of the places we visited was Death Valley, a huge national park that is the size of Connecticut and touches on the borders of both California and Nevada.
We were amazed at the starkness of the landscape, which seemed to be void of any plant life and loved the strange geologic formations that loomed from the desert floor. One of my favorite walks was through Golden Canyon, a 4-mile trek that led us around Manly Beacon; the trail was fairly steep at some points and I tried not to look down!
Manly Beacon, Death Valley
On the trail, we had the option of branching off to Zabriskie Point, one mile further, but decided to drive there later instead. This place had amazing views and reminded me of the 1970 counter-culture movie Zabriskie Point (by director Antonioni).
Zabriskie Point
While passing through the Palm Springs area, we ate at an Italian restaurant where I ordered a delicious Lobster Ravioli dish with a parmesan sauce. It was so good that I decided to replicate the recipe myself.
My dish features fresh ravioli that is filled with lobster tail meat and ricotta cheese and is topped with a creamy parmesan sauce and cherry tomatoes. With Valentine’s Day coming up, you just might want to impress your ‘significant other’ with this dish!
To make the stuffed ravioli, I bought some fresh lasagna sheets from a local Italian pasta shop, although you could make you own. I then cut out at least 12 circles (3 inches each) using a pastry cutter- you could also make square or triangle shapes:
I then placed a small amount of filling in the middle, wet the outer edges of the ravioli with water and crimped the edges together. Be sure to press the filling into the center of the dough so that you make a nice dome shape.
I then cooked the ravioli in boiling salted water for about 3 minutes, then baked the pasta with the parmesan sauce, onions and cherry tomatoes in the oven for several minutes. I wonder what wonderful things I’ll find next time in the desert!
Note: this recipe makes enough to serve three people, with each person receiving at least 4 ravioli each on their plate = total of 12 ravioli. To make the 12 ravioli, I used three lasagna sheets (14 inches by 5 inches each).
Lobster Ravioli with creamy sauce and cherry tomatoes
Lobster-filled ravioli, served with a creamy parmesan sauce and cherry tomatoes
Ingredients
Filling
- 3 lobster tails
- 2 Tbsp. diced shallots
- 2 Tbsp. ricotta cheese
- 1 Tbsp. parmesan cheese
- Salt/pepper to taste
Creamy Parmesan Sauce
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup thickened cream
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt/white pepper to taste
For the garnish
- ½ onion, sliced
- 2–3 tbsps oil
- Parsley, chopped
- 8–10 cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F (180 C).
- Prepare the filling: remove the meat from the lobster tails and chop finely. Add the ricotta cheese, diced shallots, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Roll-out the lasagna pasta sheets, cut out 3-inch circles using a pastry cutter or knife (or you could make other shapes, such as triangles or rectangles). Place a small amount of lobster filling in the middle of each ravioli shape, wet the outer edges of the dough with water and place the other shape on top. Crimp the edges together and push the filling into the center of the ravioli to make a nice dome shape. Place the ravioli in boiling salted water and cook for about three minutes; remove the pasta using a slotted spoon and set aside.
- For the sauce, melt the butter over low heat on the stove top, add the diced garlic and cream and stir over medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the wine and parmesan cheese and stir until sauce continues to thicken. Add salt and white pepper and adjust seasoning accordingly.
- Slice the onion into lengths of 2-3 inches and saute’ in a little oil on the stove top for several minutes until softened.
- To assemble the dish, place the onions and cooked ravioli in the bottom of a casserole dish, add the sauce and cherry tomatoes on top and bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
13 Comments
Rachel
February 8, 2017 at 6:38 amLooks delicious! Great valentines meal!
Fran
February 8, 2017 at 8:20 amThanks Rachel. It’s good to hear from you again.
John/Kitchen Riffs
February 8, 2017 at 7:06 amLove lobster ravioli! Not a dish I make that often — usually something I reserve for ordering in a restaurant. Silly, though, because it’s easy enough to make. Yours looks terrific! I’ve never been to Death Valley — would love to visit sometime. Great pictures, fun post — thanks.
Raymund
February 9, 2017 at 5:18 amI need to have a good serving of this now, looks amazingly good!
Juliana
February 9, 2017 at 8:42 amWow, amazing recipe Fran…your lobster ravioli really looks like from a restaurant…I love the creamy sauce as well…indeed perfect for Valentine’s Day.
Thanks for sharing the pictures…although we live in LA area and often visit Palm Desert, we have never been to the Death Valley.
I hope you are having a wonderful week 🙂
SeattleDee
February 12, 2017 at 4:53 pmLobster ravioli demystified – now I wonder why it has sounded so daunting. It will be a perfect Valentines entree, decadent and delicious.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
February 13, 2017 at 7:42 amThese look so elegant! They would make a perfect dinner for Valentine’s Day! It sounds like you’ve had a wonderful trip! I’ve been to Death Valley in the middle of July…it was 120 degrees. My sister participated in an ultra marathon (135 miles) called Badwater! It’s run every summer and the athletes are amazing!
Fran
February 13, 2017 at 12:39 pmKathy, It’s hard for me to imagine someone running an ultra marathon in Death Valley in the summer. We did visit the spot called ‘Badwater.’
Amir
February 14, 2017 at 2:45 amNever made my own ravioli and never visited Death valley :). Two new things I am learning about in your delicious post.
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com
February 15, 2017 at 6:25 amWhat a lovely dish, Fran! And I enjoyed reading about your trip to Death Valley. I’ve been there twice in my life, many years apart, and both times was astounded by how different it is from any other place I’ve ever been. And both times it seemed we were the only Americans there! The desert’s unusual beauty makes it very popular with people from all over the world.
Karen (Back Road Journal)
February 23, 2017 at 7:10 amYour pasta looks and sounds amazing. Pretty on the plate served with the asparagus.
Claire @ Simply Sweet Justice
February 24, 2017 at 6:27 amGorgeous pictures and what a fantastic recipe! I just got a new pasta maker and will try making these!
marie johson
February 29, 2020 at 2:25 amDelicious ,yummy and Very Filling! Everyone must try this