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Every night can be crawfish season with this Crawfish fettuccine recipe made with frozen crawfish tails and an easy Alfredo sauce.

This Cajun recipe is made even more scrumptious when you add grilled blackened shrimp right on top.

skillet of Crawfish Fettuccine with Blackened Shrimp.

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What is a crawfish?

A crawfish is a crustacean that is mostly harvested in the Southern United States. The body looks similar to a lobster, but it is much smaller.

The majority of the meat is located in the tail or abdomen of the shellfish.

cooked crawfish on wooden board.

While it’s really common to cook the crawfish whole, especially when throwing a Crawfish Boil, this recipe uses pre-cooked tail meat. The meat has already been removed from the shell, which makes assembly much quicker.


Ingredients

crawfish fettuccine ingredients: Cajun seasoning, cream, oil, flour, butter, green onions, parmesan cheese, fettuccine noodles, clam juice, crawfish tails, shrimp, garlic, red pepper, white onion.
  • Fettuccine Noodles: You can use dry pasta or fresh pasta. Cook according to the package directions.
  • Crawfish Tail Meat: Look for frozen packaged Louisiana crawfish tails. It will save you a lot of time in preparation. Be sure to thaw them first.
  • Cajun or Creole Seasoning: This is a blend of salt, pepper, garlic, onion, chiles and herbs. Depending on how much salt is in the Cajun seasoning you choose, you may want to add more salt and pepper to the final dish.
  • White Onion
  • Red Pepper
  • Garlic
  • Flour: This is used to make the roux, which thickens the sauce. I recommend using all-purpose flour.
  • Clam Juice: Clam juice can be found in a small bottle by the canned meat and tuna or purchased online.
  • Heavy Cream: This is the key to making the super rich, creamy sauce.
  • Parmesan Cheese: For the best results, use fresh shaved Parmesan cheese, which can be found in the deli section of your grocery store.
  • Shrimp: Buy uncooked shrimp that is peeled and deveined.
  • Olive Oil and Butter
  • Green Onions: This gets added at the end to add color, crunch and freshness to the pasta.
Substitutions: You can substitute the clam juice with seafood stock or chicken broth.

How to cook the fettuccine

Fettuccine noodles are long like spaghetti noodles, but they are about 1/4-inch wide and flat.

For this recipe, you will only need 8 ounces of uncooked fettuccine noodles. Most boxes contain 16 ounces or 1 pound of noodles. So you’ll only need 1/2 a box.

  1. STEP ONE: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt to the water to flavor it.
  1. STEP TWO: Place the fettuccine noodles in the pot and stir. If using dry pasta, cook for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. If using fresh pasta, cook for about 2 minutes. Once cooked, the noodles should be al dente, which means soft with a little chew.
PRO TIP: Although Italians would tell you to never break your pasta before boiling it, if your noodles are too long to fit in the pot you chose, it's okay to break them in half. The only down side to breaking them is that they will be shorter, so they won't spin around your fork as easily. 
  1. STEP THREE: Remove the noodles from the pot and set aside.

Make the crawfish Alfredo sauce

  1. STEP ONE: Place a large skillet on the stove or on the grill over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoon butter. Once melted, add diced onion and red bell peppers and cook until tender. Add in the minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.
onions and red bell pepper sautéing in skillet.
  1. STEP TWO: Add the flour to the skillet and stir to create the roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
wooden spoon stirring sauteed vegetables and flour.
  1. STEP THREE: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour in the clam juice and heavy cream. Stir until the cream sauce starts to thicken and coat the back of the spoon.
cream sauce coating wooden spoon.
  1. STEP FOUR: Stir in the parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning.
melted afredo sauce dripping from wooden spoon over skillet.
  1. STEP FIVE: Once the cheese is melted, stir in the crawfish tails. Cook for about 5 minutes.
skillet of Crawfish Fettuccine before noodles are added.
  1. STEP SIX: Stir noodles into the large sauté pan with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm over low heat while you grill the shrimp.
tongs scooping up crawfish fettuccine from skillet.

How to grill blackened shrimp

  1. STEP ONE: Place the peeled, deveined shrimp in bowl. Toss with olive oil and Cajun spices.
  1. STEP TWO: Heat your grill to high and place shrimp on the grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side.
Cajun shrimp on grill near pot of pasta.

How to serve crawfish fettuccine with blackened shrimp

Remove the skillet of crawfish fettuccine from the grill or stove. Top with grilled blackened shrimp. Garnish with diced green onion.

Using tongs, place a generous amount of pasta in a serving bowl. Be sure to include a few blackened shrimp on each serving. Garnish with more green onions, if needed.

skillet and bowl of of Crawfish Fettuccine with Blackened Shrimp.

Storage

Cooked crawfish fettuccine can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the pasta for up to 2 months.


GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips

  • Cook the fettuccine for about 12 minutes
  • Use pre-peeled crawfish tails to speed up preparation
  • Create a roux with flour, then add the liquids, cheese and crawfish
  • Serve with grilled blackened shrimp

Skillet of Crawfish Fettuccine with Blackened Shrimp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I buy crawfish tail meat?

You may be able to find crawfish tail meat in the freezer section of your grocery store near the other frozen seafood. It comes in a pouch. I have the best luck finding it at Wal-Mart. If your Wal-Mart or grocery store doesn’t carry it, you can also order it online.

What side dish goes with crawfish fettuccine?

Crawfish fettuccine is a hearty dish all on its own. It has vegetables, pasta and seafood. If you would like to serve something alongside it, I recommend a light house salad or some crusty bread with garlic butter.

Can crawfish fettuccine be frozen?

Yes. Once this delicious recipe cools, you can store it in an airtight container and freeze it for a couple of months.

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5 from 4 votes

Crawfish Fettuccine with Blackened Shrimp

Every night can be crawfish season with this Crawfish fettuccine recipe made with frozen crawfish tails and an easy Alfredo sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • 8 ozs fettuccine
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup white onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup clam juice
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shaved
  • 1 lb crawfish tails, thawed
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/4 cup green onions, diced

Instructions 

  • Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
  • Sauté Vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once melted, add the diced onions and red bell pepper. Sauté until tender. Add the fresh garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
  • Make Roux: Add the flour to the skillet. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Make Sauce: Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the clam juice and heavy cream. Stir and cook until it starts to thicken. Add the Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Cook until the cheese melts.
  • Finish Pasta: Add the crawfish tails to the sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes. Then, add in the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm over low heat while you grill the shrimp.
  • Blacken Shrimp: Season the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasonings. Heat the grill to high and cook the shrimp for 3-4 minutes per side.
  • Assemble: Place the grilled blackened shrimp on the skillet of pasta. Garnish with green onions. Serve.

Video

Notes

Every brand of Cajun seasoning is made a little differently, which is why I didn’t give exact measurements for salt and pepper. Once your pasta dish is complete, taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. 

Nutrition

Calories: 511kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 28gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 228mgSodium: 470mgPotassium: 463mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1304IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 238mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course, pasta
Cuisine: Cajun
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to rate it, leave a comment and save it so you can make it again. Show off your awesome results on social by tagging @girlscangrill
christie vanover standing against wood wall.

Hey BBQ Family

I’m Christie, the head cook and award-winning competitive pitmaster for Team Girls Can Grill. I have won multiple grand championships and top 10 category finishes. I’m an expert grill reviewer for BBQ Guys, and I have appeared on the Food Network and Ninja Woodfire Grill infomercials. I established this website in 2015 to share my BBQ tips and recipes.

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