Spicy Blackened Crawfish and Shrimp Pasta
 
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup chopped yellow onion
  • ½ cup chopped celery
  • ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 cup Creole cream cheese or cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 (16-ounce) package fettuccine, cooked according to package directions
  • Ground black pepper and salt, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 (16-ounce) package cooked crawfish tails, drained
  • 3 tablespoons blackening seasoning, divided
  • 1 pound large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, to serve
  • Garnish: fresh basil
Instructions
  1. In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour, and cook, stirring frequently, until dark brown, about 20 minutes.
  2. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to roux; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cream, broth, Cajun seasoning, and paprika. Cook, stirring frequently, until bubbling and thickened. Stir in cream cheese and grated Parmesan until melted. Stir in pasta, salt, and black pepper, to taste.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.
  4. In a large bowl, toss together crawfish and 1½ tablespoons blackening seasoning. Add to skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until crawfish begins to dry out, 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, shrimp, and remaining 1½ tablespoons blackening seasoning; cook shrimp until pink and firm, about 2 minutes per side.
  5. In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, parsley, basil, thyme, lemon zest, and salt.
  6. Divide pasta among plates, and top with crawfish, shrimp, ricotta mixture, and shaved Parmesan. Garnish with basil, If desired.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/spicy-blackened-crawfish-and-shrimp-pasta/