Crawfish Monica
This Crawfish Monica copycat recipe brings all the rich flavors of the New Orleans’ Jazz Fest original – tender crawfish tails in a spicy Cajun cream sauce served over al dente fusilli pasta – right to your kitchen. Whether you’re celebrating Mardi Gras or just craving a delicious seafood pasta dish, this creamy crawfish pasta hits all the right notes.
Why you’ll love this crawfish pasta
If you’ve ever had Crawfish Monica at Jazz Fest, you know how amazing it is. Our copycat version captures all that creamy, crawfish goodness without a trip to Louisiana. It’s a fun way to experience a little bit of the New Orleans food scene right from the comfort of your home, which is why we made it for Mardi Gras this year.
You’ll love this recipe even more because it’s quick and easy thanks to frozen crawfish tails (that’s the only way we can get them up here anyway!), and honestly there’s not a ton of prep to do at all. Just a bit of chopping and grating! You should be able to get this recipe on the table in about 30 minutes.
More seafood pasta recipes: tuna spaghetti / shrimp pesto pasta / smoked salmon pasta / squid ink pasta with lobster
Ingredient notes:
- Crawfish – We really recommend sourcing your crawfish from Louisiana (or at least somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico region. We order ours from Cajun Grocer. If you can’t find crawfish, substitute with shrimp or lobster meat.
- White Wine – A dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay are you best bets here. If avoiding alcohol, substitute with 2 tablespoon of lemon juice + 6 tablespoons water. I don’t recommend using broth for this recipe because it will add too much salt.
- Heavy Cream – If you want to lighten things up, you can swap this for half and half but the sauce will definitely not be as creamy. For a dairy-free version, swap with full-fat coconut milk.
- Creole Seasoning – Use your favorite store-bought brand of Creole or Cajun seasoning We recommend a lighter salt version such as Tony Cachere’s Lite Creole seasoning.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Tips for making this recipe:
Don’t overcook the crawfish. Since they’re already cooked, just heat them through to prevent toughness.
Lighten things up. Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a slightly less rich sauce.
The Pasta Twins always say save a little pasta water before draining your pasta. It helps your sauce bind to the pasta and it can help thicken or thin the sauce to your liking – thanks to the magic starches!
Frequently asked questions
Crawfish Monica is traditionally made with rotini pasta. Personally, we love using De Cecco’s fusilli pasta because it has the best al dente bite and it holds its shape really well. But, really you can any shape of pasta you want for this recipe.
This dish is best served fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water or milk. Just be careful not to overcook the crawfish when reheating or it will become tough/rubbery.
Love this copycat recipe? Try these next: chicken marsala fettuccine / pasta fresca / spicy chicken chipotle pasta
More spiral pasta recipes: spinach artichoke pasta / lemon ricotta pasta / Italian sausage and peppers pasta
Crawfish Monica
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce package fusilli pasta
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup diced sweet onion
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
- 1 pound cooked crawfish tail meat
- 2 green onions (sliced)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Reserve about 1 cup pasta water before draining.
- Sauté aromatics. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Sauté until translucent and soft. Stir in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Make the sauce. Pour in the white wine and let it simmer for about 2 minutes to reduce slightly. Then, stir in heavy cream, parmesan cheese, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add crawfish. Stir in the crawfish tails and cook for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.
- Combine with pasta. Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce if needed. Garnish with in green onion and, parsley.
- Garnish and serve. Top each serving with green onion and parsley before serving.
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