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Kirkland Lobster Ravioli in Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Costco's lobster ravioli dressed in brown butter and crispy sage is an elegant date-night dinner in 15 minutes.

Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
12 min
Servings
2
Cost / Serving
$7.50

Quick Answer

Cook Kirkland's refrigerated lobster ravioli for 4 minutes, then toss in browned butter with crispy sage leaves. Two ingredients become elegant in 17 minutes; serves 2 — ideal for a date-night dinner that took zero effort.

Kirkland lobster ravioli is a refrigerated case gem at Costco — delicate pasta filled with lobster and ricotta that needs almost nothing to shine. The ideal accompaniment is a brown butter sauce: butter cooked until the milk solids turn golden and nutty, perfumed with fresh sage leaves fried until crispy, finished with lemon zest and a shower of Parmesan. The entire dish, start to finish, takes 15 minutes and is impressive enough for a special occasion.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with kosher salt. While the water comes to a boil, set out all your sauce ingredients within reach — brown butter moves fast and requires your full attention once it starts.

  2. 2

    Gently lower the ravioli into the boiling water one at a time to prevent them from sticking together. Cook for 3–4 minutes, or until they float to the surface and have been floating for about 1 minute. Lobster ravioli is delicate — do not boil aggressively. A gentle, steady boil is ideal. Taste one to confirm the pasta is fully cooked and tender.

  3. 3

    While the ravioli cook, make the brown butter sauce. Melt the butter in a light-colored skillet (stainless or white-interior is ideal so you can see the color change) over medium heat. The butter will foam, then the foam will subside. Watch it carefully.

  4. 4

    Once the foam subsides, add the fresh sage leaves to the pan. They will sizzle loudly. Continue cooking, swirling the pan constantly, until the butter turns a deep amber color and smells like hazelnuts, and the sage leaves are crispy, about 2–3 minutes total from when you added the sage. Remove from heat immediately — the butter can go from perfectly brown to burnt in 15 seconds.

  5. 5

    Off heat, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a crack of black pepper to the brown butter. The lemon juice will sputter slightly. Swirl to combine. Taste the sauce — it should be nutty, slightly tangy, and aromatic. The sauce will look like it has separated slightly; that's fine, it will come together when tossed with pasta and its starchy water.

  6. 6

    Using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, lift the ravioli directly from the pasta water and into the brown butter pan. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water. Gently toss the ravioli in the brown butter, adding pasta water a tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce and help it coat each raviolo. Be gentle — the ravioli is fragile and will tear if you toss too vigorously.

  7. 7

    Plate by arranging the ravioli in a single layer (not piled up) in two shallow, warmed pasta bowls. Spoon any remaining brown butter and the crispy sage leaves over the top. Finish with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a few cracks of black pepper, and a pinch of flaky sea salt if desired. Serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sauce goes best with lobster ravioli?+
Brown butter with sage is the classic pairing — its nutty richness complements the sweet lobster without competing with it, and the crispy sage adds textural contrast. A light lemon cream sauce (butter, a splash of cream, lemon, and Parmesan) is a close second. A simple tomato cream (rose sauce) also works well. What you want to avoid are heavy, chunky sauces like meat ragù or thick vodka sauce — they overwhelm the delicate filling. The rule with stuffed pasta is: the more precious the filling, the simpler the sauce.
How do you know when ravioli is cooked?+
Fresh or refrigerated ravioli is done when it floats to the surface of the boiling water and has been floating for about 60 seconds. As a backup confirmation, remove one piece, cut it in half, and check that the pasta sheet is fully tender (not stiff or doughy) and the filling is hot throughout. For lobster ravioli specifically, 3–4 minutes in a gentle boil is typically right. Overcooking is the bigger risk — the pasta can become waterlogged and begin to split at the seams.
Can I make lobster ravioli in a cream sauce?+
Yes — a lemon cream sauce is a beautiful option. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan, add a minced shallot and cook until soft, then add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and a strip of lemon zest. Simmer for 3–4 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon, then add the cooked ravioli and a squeeze of lemon juice. Finish with Parmesan. The cream sauce is richer than brown butter and works especially well in cooler months. For a pink sauce, add a spoonful of tomato paste to the cream before it reduces.
How do you avoid overcooking lobster ravioli?+
Three things: First, use a gentle boil rather than a violent, rolling boil — too much agitation batters the delicate pasta and can burst the seams. Second, watch the clock and pull the ravioli as soon as it floats and you've confirmed the pasta is tender — don't let it sit in the water. Third, get your sauce in the pan before the ravioli goes into the water so you can transfer immediately from pot to sauce without waiting. The extra 30–60 seconds sitting in a colander or waiting for the sauce to be ready can push delicate ravioli from perfect to overcooked.
Where is the lobster ravioli at Costco?+
Look in the refrigerated fresh pasta and deli section, usually near the Kirkland cheese tortellini and other fresh pastas. It's typically on the same shelf as fresh pasta sheets and filled pastas. Some Costco locations stock it in the specialty cheese area near the fresh mozzarella and burrata. Availability varies by location and season — it's more reliably stocked in the fall and winter. If you can't find it in the refrigerated section, check the freezer aisle, as some locations carry a frozen version instead.

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