Crawfish Fettuccine with Blackened Shrimp

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.

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.

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• 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.

1. STEP ONE: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt to the water to flavor it.

2. 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.

3. STEP THREE: Remove the noodles from the pot and set aside.

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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.

2. STEP TWO: Add the flour to the skillet and stir to create the roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

3. 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.

4. STEP FOUR: Stir in the parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning.

5. STEP FIVE: Once the cheese is melted, stir in the crawfish tails. Cook for about 5 minutes.

6. 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.

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How to grill blackened shrimp

1. STEP ONE: Place the peeled, deveined shrimp in bowl. Toss with olive oil and Cajun spices.

2. STEP TWO: Heat your grill to high and place shrimp on the grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side.

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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.

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.

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