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a closeup image of macaroni and cheese in a dish, topped with lobster tail and lobster pieces; on a table

The Best Lobster Mac & Cheese Recipe (video)

25 minutes prep + 45 minutes cook
6 servings
The best lobster mac and cheese recipe with garlic butter poached lobster tails and a creamy four cheese sauce. The creamiest and cheesiest lobster pasta!

Ingredients 
US Customary - Metric

  • 1 pound pasta, elbow, pipe, rotini

For Lobster Tails:

  • 6 to 10 medium lobster tails
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 medium shallot, finely diced
  • 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

For Cheese Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 cups half-and-half
  • 1 tsp EACH: ground mustard, smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp EACH: dried garlic, dried onion
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • ground white pepper, optional
  • 8 oz aged white cheddar cheese, about 2 3/4 cups grated
  • 6 oz gruyere cheese, about 2 1/4 cups grated
  • 4 oz smoked gouda cheese, about 1 1/2 cups grated
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

For Panko Topping:

  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1/4 tsp dried garlic
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Cooking the Pasta:

  • Bring a large pot of salted water up to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain and keep warm.

Preparing & Cooking Lobster Tails:

  • You’ll need to remove the raw lobster meat from the tail shells before cooking. Turn the lobster tail upside down, exposing the thin, hard-shell covering underneath. Using kitchen shears, cut the shell on both sides, then peel it back. Watch my video tutorial for more details.
  • Gently snap and break the shell back away from the meat, insert a thumb underneath the tail meat, and gently pull it up and out of the shell.
  • Chop half the lobster tails into large chunks and keep the remaining tails whole for adding on top.
  • Preheat a large frying pan over medium heat and add in the butter. Into the hot, melted butter, add the shallot, garlic, a tablespoon of fresh parsley, sea salt and pepper. Cook the mixture for about 1 to 2 minutes, just until the garlic is softened.
  • Add the lobster into the butter and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, turning and cooking until the lobster meat is no longer translucent. The whole tails may take an additional minute.
  • Remove the lobster from the pan and set aside for later. Keep the garlic and shallot butter mixture on the side.

Making the Cheese Sauce:

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Preheat a deep sauté pan over medium-low heat for the cheese sauce. Add in the butter and wait until it’s completely melted before adding in the flour.
  • Whisk the flour and butter together, cooking for 4 to 5 minutes; if the mixture (roux) starts to brown, remove it from the heat.
  • Begin adding the half-and-half, approximately ½ cup at a time. Whisk vigorously and cook the sauce until it’s creamy and smooth before adding more cream.
  • After adding all the half-and-half, season the sauce with dried garlic, dried onion, smoked paprika, ground mustard, salt, and white pepper to taste (optional).
  • Add all the grated cheese into the sauce and stir with a spatula. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring continuously, until the cheese is completely melted and smooth.
  • Whisk in the reserved garlic and shallot lobster butter, along with fresh parsley.
  • Add the cooked, drained pasta to the sauce, along with the cooked lobster. Keep several lobster tails for the top. Use a large spoon or spatula to toss everything in the cheesy sauce.

Adding Breadcrumb Topping:

  • Combine the panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, dried garlic, and fresh parsley in a small bowl. Toss to coat the crumbs in the butter.
  • The mac and cheese can be baked in the sauté pan (if it’s oven-safe), or transferred into a large casserole dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the pasta in an even layer.

Baking & Serving:

  • Bake the lobster mac and cheese at 425°F for about 15 minutes, just until the breadcrumbs are golden brown on top.
  • You can also brown the breadcrumbs using the oven broiler setting on ‘low’ for about 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Once the lobster pasta is baked, it’s ready to be enjoyed! I recommend serving and enjoying the pasta as soon as possible when the sauce is the creamiest. The sauce will thicken as the dish stands and cools.
  • Garnish the top of the pasta with the remaining whole lobster tails and sprinkle with additional fresh parsley or chopped chives.

Make-Ahead Instructions:

  • This dish is best enjoyed right away. If you want to prepare it ahead of time, keep the sauce, the pasta, and the lobster separate until you're almost ready for dinner. Combine everything together the last minute and bake until the cheese is hot and bubbling around the edges.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (1/6th recipe) | Calories: 1075kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 268mg | Sodium: 2384mg | Potassium: 599mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2200IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 1026mg | Iron: 2mg