Creamy Crawfish Fettuccine is the perfect southern dish for the fall or winter season, and this particular recipe from Louisiana Cookin’ is certainly no exception. This recipe only requires a single pound of crawfish tail meat, which might be hard to find in some areas, but you should know that the frozen alternative isn’t necessarily a step-down.

Ingredients Crawfish Fettuccine:

• 1 pound of crawfish tail meat, cooked
• 1 pound of fettuccine pasta
• 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
• ½ pound of American cheese, cubed
• ½ pound of Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, shredded
• 2 cups of half-and-half
• 1½ cups of butter
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 stalks of celery, peeled and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 bunch of green onions, sliced
• ½ cup of fresh parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup of all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of red cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper

Directions Crawfish Fettuccine:

1. To begin this recipe, you’ll use a medium-sized pot. Fill it with water, bring it to a rolling boil, and cook the fettuccine pasta according to the fettuccine packaging directions. After it’s cooked, set it aside.
2. Next, take a large pot or a Dutch oven, set it to medium heat, and melt your 1 ½ cups of butter in the Dutch oven. Once the butter is fully melted, add in your onions and cook them for about 7 minutes or just until the onion pieces are translucent. Once they are, stir in your chopped celery, bell peppers, garlic, parsley, and green onion. After all of these ingredients are stirred into the pot, cook the contents for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are all equally softened.
3. The next step is to stir in your all-purpose flour until it’s well incorporated. You’ll cook the flour for about five minutes or until the Dutch oven develops and emits a nutty fragrance. At this point, you’ll lower the heat to medium-low and slowly stir in your half-and-half. Bring the contents of the pot to a full boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook this for about 4 minutes or until it’s slightly thickened.
4. Slowly stir in your American cheese about ¼ cup at a time. You’ll want to let each addition of American cheese melt fully before adding the next portion. After integrating all of the American cheese, you’ll stir in the Monterey Jack cheese using the same process until it’s fully incorporated. Stir in your salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper afterward.
5. Then, add your pound of freshly cooked crawfish tail meat to the Dutch oven. Cook this for a minimum of 5 minutes or until the meat is heated through. At this point, you’ll want to combine your cooked fettuccine noodles with the crawfish sauce and top it with your grated Parmesan cheese.
6. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes:

• If you’re unable to get fresh crawfish tails and you’ll be using frozen, pre-cooked crawfish tails, all the work of preparation will be done for you. Simply thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and they are ready to be used in your dish. If part of the dark vein running alongside the tail remains after this process, feel free to remove it. But if you notice any orange-red butter that is stubborn to come off, don’t worry! This substance contains a particularly tasty fat that adds lots of flavor to your dish.
• If you’re looking to spice this meal up, consider adding in your favorite Cajun or Creole seasoning. Try adding some dashes of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and/or TABASCO Sauce.
• Crawfish pasta is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll be good for 3-4 days after that. To avoid overcooking the crawfish and making them rubbery, reheat them in a saucepan over medium-low heat just until they are heated through.

For more delicious recipes, click here.