Indulge in your Decadence Era this summer with Lobster Tortellini Salad.
Why is Lobster Tortellini Salad the book-inspired recipe for The Summer Club?
Since The Summer Club takes place at a swanky New England country club, there’s a lot of high-end meals going through main character Flick’s kitchen. I was delighted to see lobster and steak appear numerous times on the dinner menu, along with various salads and sandwiches for lunch that guests could enjoy by the pool or on the golf course.
Chilled pasta salad is one of my favorite meals to eat during the hot, humid summer months.
For this book-inspired recipe, I wanted to create a luxury version featuring lobster meat, filled pasta, and fresh produce that you’d expect to find on a country club restaurant menu.
Treat yo’self with Lobster Tortellini Salad
Is lobster a pricey ingredient? Yes, a bit.
Is it worth it to make the yummiest, swankiest pasta salad ever? You bet your bippy it is. Since it’s my birthday this month, I decided to splurge a little on this book-inspired recipe.
Now, don’t be scared about the “lobster” part of this salad. We’re not cooking whole lobsters; that’s way too much work for this lazy chef.
Instead, I bought lobster tails from my local market and steamed them at home. I used kitchen shears to cut the cooked meat out of the shells, then I chopped the lobster meat up for the salad. Super simple and relatively low fuss.
Of course, if you don’t want to steam the lobster tails yourself, you can ask your seafood department to do this for you. My recipe calls for four, 4-oz tails, which yielded a good amount of meat for this pata salad.
However, don’t be afraid to go bigger if your budget allows. No one ever said, “Oh my god, there’s just too much lobster in this delicious lunch you’re serving me.” No one.
What do you put in Lobster Tortellini Salad?
Apart from the titular ingredients – lobster and tortellini – you can put anything you want in this salad. Since I live in New Jersey, I decided to highlight local seasonal produce. In went some fresh corn kernels, diced red onion, and sliced cherry tomatoes from my friendly neighborhood farmstand.
I added some diced avocado and chopped chives for color, and some cooked bacon for extra crunch and decadence. I wanted Cobb Salad vibes in this pasta salad.
Then I smothered everything in a creamy Tarragon Honey Mustard Vinaigrette salad dressing. *chef’s kiss*
Tip: As I’m writing this, I’m wishing I had grilled the corn kernels first because I think the char would add a nice smoky aspect to the Lobster Tortellini Salad. But they still tasted great raw!
Why I love Lobster Tortellini Salad
We’ve been hitting 90+ degrees here for days in a row, and I am so excited to take this chilled seafood pasta salad out of the fridge for lunch.
The juicy, sweet lobster is my favorite part, obvi. But the fresh veggies, the tender pasta, and that tangy dressing really hits the spot for a lunch that fills me up without heating me up.
Lobster Tortellini Salad is perfect way to elevate my lunch hour in the middle of a busy workday, but it’s also a great side dish to bring to a summer BBQ or party.
What do you serve with Lobster Tortellini Salad?
Serve up a lil’ surf-and-turf and use Lobster Tortellini Salad as the side dish for Smoked Gouda Burgers or Grilled Balsamic Rosemary Steak. It would also be delicious with Fried Greed Tomato BLTs and a tall glass of lemonade.
Keep things light and breezy for dessert with Miami Vice Cookies or Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon and Cream.
Lobster Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
LOBSTER TORTELLINI SALAD INGREDIENTS
- 4 4-oz raw lobster tails
- 12-oz bag of tortellini (any kind)
- corn kernels from 2 corn cobs (raw or cooked)
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- 6 strips cooked crispy bacon, chopped
TARRAGON HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup whole grain mustard
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- juice from one lemon
- 1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt (or more, to taste)
- 2 tsp honey
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut the corn kernels off your corn cobs, then set aside. You can discard the cobs.
- Chop/dice the red onion, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and chives. Set aside.
- Chop the cooked bacon. Set aside.
- Chop the fresh tarragon. Set aside.
- Make the Tarragon Honey Mustard Vinaigrette: combine all salad dressing ingredients in a large pitcher, then blend with an immersion blender on low until creamy. Alternatively, you can combine all ingredients in a mason jar, then seal it and shake vigorously to mix together.*
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Cook and strain the tortellini according to the package instructions. While the tortellini cooks, steam the lobster tails.
- Put about 2 inches of water in a large pot that can fit a steamer basket on top. Secure the steamer basket in place and bring the water to a rolling boil.
- Place the lobster tails in a single row in the steamer basket. Cover the basket with a lid, and let the lobster tails steam 6-8 minutes, until the shells are bright red and the lobster meat has changed from translucent to white.
- Turn off the heat under the pot and carefully transfer the lobster tails to a plate. Once lobster tails are cool enough to handle, use kitchen shears cut along the top and bottom of each shell and remove the lobster meat.
- You may need to clean the urinary tract out from the lobster tail: cut down the middle of the “back” of the lobster tail; the tract will look like a long, dark vein. Use a sharp knife to carefully remove the tract and related debris, then discard the tract, along with the shells. Gently rinse the cleaned lobster tail.
- Chop the cooked lobster meat into bite-sized chunks and set aside.
LOBSTER TORTELLINI SALAD ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the cooked lobster meat and the cooked tortellini to a large serving bowl while both ingredients are still warm. Pour in a little of the Tarragon Honey Mustard Vinaigrette and toss to combine.
- Add the corn, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado** to the bowl. Pour in the remaining Tarragon Honey Mustard Vinaigrette and toss so all ingredients are covered with dressing.
- Refrigerate Lobster Tortellini Salad for 3-4hours, or overnight, before serving. Serve salad chilled and sprinkled with chopped chives and bacon.
Notes
