Crawfish Monica
This creamy, spicy pasta dish featuring crawfish tails is a New Orleans Jazz Fest favorite. This recipe simplifies the classic dish, making it perfect for a taste of the Big Easy at home.
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- 12 oz rotini pasta
- Chicken bouillon powder (to taste)
For the Sauce:
- Olive oil
- Butter
- 3 scallion whites, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp Creole seasoning (or to taste)
- Cayenne pepper (to taste)
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp Lemon pepper (to taste)
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp Onion powder (to taste)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (or more, as needed)
- 2 tsp – 1 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce
- Fresh chopped scallion greens (for garnish/mixing in)
- Fresh chopped parsley (for garnish/mixing in)
For the Crawfish:
- 12 oz crawfish tails (cooked)
Preparation Time
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 4-6
Step 1: Prepare the Pasta Water
Add chicken bouillon powder to a large pot of water and bring to a boil.
Step 2: Sauté Aromatics
In a separate pot or pan, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Sauté chopped scallion whites and garlic until fragrant.
Step 3: Season the Sauce Base
Add Creole seasoning, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, and onion powder to the sautéed aromatics. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Step 4: Cook the Pasta
Add the rotini pasta to the boiling water. Cook for only 5 minutes; the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.
Step 5: Sauté Crawfish
Add the cooked crawfish tails to the pan with the aromatics. Sauté briefly over medium-high heat to warm through.
Step 6: Build the Sauce
Reduce the heat to medium and add heavy cream to the pan with the crawfish and aromatics. Simmer for several minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly.
Step 7: Add Pasta to Sauce
Transfer the partially cooked pasta directly from the boiling water to the cream sauce. Continue to simmer over low heat, allowing the pasta to finish cooking and the sauce to thicken further. Stir occasionally.
Step 8: Final Seasoning and Garnish
Stir in Louisiana hot sauce, chopped scallion greens, and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Step 9: Serve
Serve the Crawfish Monica immediately.
