Gordon Ramsay’s lobster tortellini is handmade pasta filled with lobster and mascarpone, cooked for 90 seconds in a broth built from the same lobster’s shells. Nothing is wasted: the meat goes into the filling and the shells become the sauce. The recipe comes from his MasterChef demonstration where he walks contestants through every step.
A version of this dish has been on the menu at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay since it opened in 1998. It is the only dish that has survived every menu change across more than 25 years of continuous three-Michelin-star service.
The pasta needs to be thin enough that you can almost see through it. In the MasterChef video he rolls it through the machine until it is paper thin, because thick pasta drowns the delicate lobster filling instead of letting it come through.
Gordon Ramsay’s Lobster Tortellini in Shellfish Broth
Course: Dinner, StarterCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Advanced4
servings45
minutes20
minutes340
kcal65
minutesThe dish that has stayed on the menu at his three-Michelin-star restaurant since 1998. Handmade tortellini filled with lobster, mascarpone and lemon, served in a broth made from the lobster shells, shallots, carrots and Pastis. From his MasterChef demonstration.
Ingredients
- For the pasta dough:
200g (7 oz) 00 flour
3 large egg yolks
1 whole egg
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt
- For the lobster filling:
200g (7 oz) cooked lobster meat, finely diced
2 tbsp mascarpone
1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp fine herbs (chervil, tarragon, chives), finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the shellfish broth:
Shells from 2 lobsters, crushed
1 shallot, sliced
1 celery stick, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 tbsp Pastis or Pernod
500ml (2 cups) chicken or fish stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
- To finish:
1 small carrot, cut into fine dice
1 celery stick, cut into fine dice
Fresh chervil or herb tendrils
Directions
- Make the pasta: Mix the flour, egg yolks, whole egg, olive oil and salt. Knead until smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and rest for at least 20 minutes. Ramsay says the longer you rest it, the finer it will become.
- Build the broth: Crush the lobster shells and add to a large pan with the shallot, celery and carrot. Fry for 2–3 minutes. Pour in the Pastis and flame off the alcohol. Add the stock and tomato paste, bring to a simmer and cook for 20–30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve.
- Make the filling: Mix the diced lobster with the mascarpone, Parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Keep your hands completely dry because any moisture will tear the pasta later.
- Roll the pasta: Feed the dough through a pasta machine, reducing the thickness each time until paper thin. Cut out circles using a 9cm (3½ in) round cutter.
- Shape the tortellini: Place a small spoonful of filling on one side of each disc. Brush the edges with egg wash (1 yolk beaten with a pinch of salt and 2 tsp water). Fold into a half moon, pressing out all the air. Curl the two tips around your index finger, press to seal, then turn the edges up to form a brim.
- Cook and serve: Bring the broth to a gentle boil with the fine dice of carrot and celery. Drop in the tortellini and cook for 90 seconds. Place in warmed bowls with the round lip facing the curve of the bowl. Spoon the broth over gently and finish with fresh herb tendrils.
Notes
- The tortellini folding technique comes from the Secrets book where Ramsay describes the shape as a hat with a brim. You can blanch and refresh the tortellini in advance: cook for 2 minutes, drain into ice water, then chill until ready to reheat in the broth for 1-2 minutes.
FAQs
Can I actually make this at home or is it restaurant-only?
You can, and it is worth the effort. The folding takes practice but the filling and broth are straightforward. In the MasterChef video Ramsay walks complete beginners through every step, and even they get it done. You would pay well over £40 per person at his restaurant, so making four servings at home for about £15-20 in lobster is a serious saving.
The trick is doing the broth and filling the day before so you only have to roll, fold and cook on the night. That way the hard part is just 30 minutes of pasta work, not an hour of chaos trying to do everything at once.
Can I use ready-cooked lobster tails from the supermarket?
Yes, and that is the easiest way to do it at home. Two medium lobster tails give you about 200g of meat once chopped. You lose the shells for the broth, but you can buy a small pot of fish stock and add a tablespoon of tomato paste and a splash of Pastis to get close.
If you buy whole lobsters, Ramsay says to use ones with damaged claws because they are cheaper and the meat goes into the filling anyway. The shells then become the broth, which is the whole point of this dish: nothing from the lobster gets thrown away.
Why does my filling keep breaking through the pasta?
Two reasons: the pasta is too thick, or the filling is too wet. Ramsay says in the video that the dough needs to be paper thin, and in the Secrets book he warns that your hands must be completely dry when shaping the filling. Any moisture causes it to weep and tear the pasta from the inside.
Press out all the air when you fold the half moon, because trapped air expands in the hot broth and bursts the seal. If you are new to filled pasta, his lobster ravioli uses two discs pressed together which is easier to seal than the tortellini fold.
What is the difference between this and his lobster ravioli?
The ravioli uses two pasta discs crimped together with a filling made from lobster bound in salmon mousse, served in a lobster stock vinaigrette. It is easier to shape because you just press and crimp rather than fold and curl.
This tortellini uses a single disc folded into a half moon and curled into a hat shape, with a mascarpone filling that is lighter and softer. It cooks in a shellfish broth instead of being dressed in vinaigrette. If you want the same flavours with less pasta technique, his lobster pasta skips the filling entirely and uses lobster pieces tossed with cooked pasta.
Can I make these ahead for a dinner party?
The broth and filling can both be made a day ahead, which is what the restaurant does. The Secrets book says to blanch the shaped tortellini for 2 minutes, drain into ice water, wrap in cling film and chill. When guests arrive, drop them into the hot broth for 90 seconds and serve.
This is actually how Ramsay’s kitchen runs the dish every night: everything prepped and chilled, assembled to order. For a dinner party of four you need about 12 tortellini, three per person. His lobster mac and cheese is a less stressful lobster option if you want to skip the pasta folding for a crowd.
