Crawfish Fettuccine

If you are not familiar with the cuisine of the American South, then you might not think of crawfish as something you would commonly cook with. After you try this crawfish fettuccine pasta recipe, we guarantee these small freshwater crustaceans will be regularly on the menu at your house. The mashup of this unique and tender meat with a classic flavorful Italian dish is just a triumph all around.

And while this might seem like a rather fancy dish—and indeed it tastes that way–it’s not that hard to make. Follow this recipe for crawfish fettuccine a few times, and you’ll probably be whipping it up from your head, much to the delight of anyone who gets a bite.

Crawfish Fettuccine Ingredients

• Onion: Use one medium yellow or white onion for this recipe; either way, just make sure it is well chopped.
• Sweet red pepper: A medium sweet red pepper adds flavor and pops of color to this satisfying dish.
• Green onions: Sliced green onions also add pleasant color to the crawfish fettuccine, but let’s not discredit the great taste.
• Celery: One celery rib, chopped, adds a crunch to this dish that makes a great counterpoint to the soft meat and noodles.
• Butter: Yes, this recipe uses a lot of butter, which is why in large part that it tastes so good.
• Garlic: You can use a fresh garlic clove that you have finely minced, or you can use a frozen garlic clove bought from the store.
• All-purpose flour: The 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour helps create the thick, saucy consistency that you will love about this dish.
• Velveeta: You need the Velveeta to be cubed so it mixes into the dish properly, so leave it in the fridge until shortly before you begin the prep.
• Half-and-half: Along with the butter, the cup of half-and-half does much to help the flavor and consistency of this dish.
• Jalapeno pepper: The jalapeno pepper adds a nice little edge to this dish, though the cake is not that strong, given all the dairy here.
• Fettuccine: Eight ounces of uncooked fettuccine pasta are perfect for this recipe as it is laid out here. Of course, you can always double things if you have a larger group.
• Crawfish: Use 1 1/2 pounds of frozen cooked crawfish tails, peeled and deveined—more on crawfish prep below.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the veggies, add the cheese, cream and peppers

Sheri Silver for Taste of Home

In a Dutch oven or large skillet, saute the onion, red pepper, green onions and celery in the butter, cooking until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute longer. Then, stir in the flour until it has blended, and keep cooking and stirring for two more minutes. Next, add the cheese, cream, jalapeno and salt and cook, stirring, until the mixture is thickened and the cheese is melted, which will take about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Cook the pasta, then combine everything

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Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine according to package directions, then drain it. Stir the fettuccine and crawfish meat into the vegetable mixture. Cook, uncovered over medium heat and stirring occasionally until everything is heated through, about 10 minutes.

Sheri Silver for Taste of Home

Crawfish Fettuccine Variations

• Use lobster meat instead: If you can’t get crawfish meat, you probably can find lobster or shrimp. Using either of those succulent meats will work out just fine in this dish.
• Use a different pasta: You can make the same dish with linguine or spaghetti if need be, though it was designed around fettuccine.
• Skip the jalapeno: If you don’t like things spicy, leave out the hot pepper and enjoy a milder dish. Or add red pepper flakes if you love heat!

How to Store Crawfish Fettuccine

Store cooled crawfish fettuccine in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’ll be good for three to four days; after that, it’s best to dispose of it. To avoid overcooking your crawfish, reheat it in a saucepan over medium-low just until heated through.

Crawfish Fettuccine Tips

Sheri Silver for Taste of Home

How should you prep crawfish for cooking?

When buying frozen cooked crawfish tails, you’ll find them already shelled and cleaned. Let the crawfish thaw in the refrigerator overnight. If part of the dark vein running alongside the back remains, you can remove it or leave it. But if you see a bit of orange-red butter-like substance, don’t get rid of it! That’s a particularly tasty fat, and it adds loads of flavor to your finished dish. If you’re working with frozen cooked whole crawfish, you’ll need to complete more steps, but it’s not difficult and similar to cleaning shrimp. Twist off the heads, then remove the shells from the tails. Squeeze the tip of the tail firmly, place your thumbnail against the meat under the top of the shell as a lever, then pull, twisting slightly. The shell should come free with little effort.

Be careful with the hot peppers

Consider wearing disposable food prep gloves when cutting the hot peppers for this crawfish fettuccine, as the oils can burn your skin, and avoid touching your face after chopping them until you have washed your hands.