We had a cajun food challenge at work a while back. I decided that crawfish pasta was the way to go. It was a bit spicy but it was so good. And the pictures alone were mouthwatering. Here’s the recipe:
Kosher salt
1 lb. fettuccine
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. crawfish
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning)
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
¾ c. heavy cream
½ c. freshly grated parmesan, plus more for garnish
¼ c. chopped fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook fettuccine until al dente. Drain, saving 1 cup pasta water, and return to pot.
In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add crawfish and season with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Cook slightly so that the crawfish are seasoned well then set aside.
Wipe out skillet and add butter. Once melted, stir in flour and whisk until golden, 1 minute. Add heavy cream and whisk until creamy, then add Parmesan and 1/2 cup pasta water. Whisk until creamy, then season with salt and pepper.
Return pasta to skillet and toss until creamy, then add the crawfish and parsley and toss until combined.
Top with Parmesan and serve hot with some some garlic bread and your choice of hot sauce!
Additional Information:
You can use shrimp instead of crawfish. Be sure to cook thoroughly, about 2 minutes on each side. You can also use different types of pasta like linguine or angel hair.