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Crawfish Pasta

Tender crawfish in a spiced Cajun cream sauce tossed with pasta. Restaurant-quality dish with bold flavors, smoky spice, and luxurious sauce that's surprisingly quick to make.

35 minMediumServes 4520 cal/serving

CajunDinnerStovetopStandard

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs crawfish tails (fresh or frozen, thawed)
  • 1 lb pasta (fettuccine or penne)
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup onion, diced, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced, minced
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced, diced
  • 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced, sliced
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook 1 lb pasta (fettuccine or penne) according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1 cup pasta water.

  2. 2

    While pasta (fettuccine or penne) cooks, melt 4 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

  3. 3

    Add 1/2 cup diced onion, diced and 1/2 cup diced bell pepper, diced and sauté for 3 minutes until softened.

  4. 4

    Stir in 4 cloves minced garlic, minced, 2 tsp seasoning, and 1 tsp paprika and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

  5. 5

    Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

  6. 6

    Pour in 1 cup cream and 1/2 cup broth and bring to a simmer.

  7. 7

    Gently fold in 1.5 lbs crawfish tails (fresh or frozen, thawed) and cook for 3-4 minutes until heated through.

  8. 8

    Stir in 2 tbsp lemon and adjust seasoning as needed.

  9. 9

    Toss pasta (fettuccine or penne) with the crawfish sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed to reach desired consistency.

  10. 10

    Garnish with 1/4 cup sliced green onions, sliced and serve immediately.

Questions

Can I make Crawfish Pasta dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 4 tbsp butter, 1 cup heavy cream. Swap the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed; the cream for full-fat coconut milk or an oat cooking cream. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Can I make Crawfish Pasta gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in this entry is 1 lb pasta (fettuccine or penne). Swap the pasta for a gluten-free one, cooked a minute short of its package time. Everything else proceeds as written.

How long does Crawfish Pasta keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within two days (seafood turns fast). Reheat gently on the stovetop.

Can I halve or double Crawfish Pasta?

Yes. As written it serves 4. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

Serve it with

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