Crawfish Monica Recipe

Creamy crawfish Monica with rotini pasta.

Crawfish Monica is a creamy crawfish pasta dish that is wildly popular at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. With this copycat recipe, you can make your own at home!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Cajun

Keyword crawfish

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 926kcal

Author Lauren LeBlanc

Equipment

Pasta pot
saucepan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small shallot
½ red bell pepper
4 green onions
6 cloves garlic
1 pound cooked crawfish tails with fat
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups finely grated parmesan cheese about 3 ounces
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2-3 teaspoons cajun seasoning
½ pound rotini pasta

Instructions

PREP: Finely chop shallot, red bell pepper, green onions, and parsley. Mince garlic. Finely grate parmesan cheese. Measure out other ingredients. Set a large pot of water to boil with about 1 tablespoon of salt.
1 small shallot, ½ red bell pepper, 4 green onions, 6 cloves garlic, 2 cups finely grated parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
SAUTÉ: Heat a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and melt butter. Add in onions, red pepper, and half of the green onions with a pinch of salt. Sauté for about 8 minutes until softened, stir occasionally. Add in garlic and cook for another minute while stirring.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
SIMMER: Add in crawfish, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, parsley, and cajun seasoning*. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then turn heat to low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
1 pound cooked crawfish tails, 2 cups heavy cream, 2-3 teaspoons cajun seasoning
BOIL: While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and set aside.
½ pound rotini pasta
FINISH: Once the sauce has thickened to desired consistency, Add in drained pasta with a splash of reserved pasta water and the remaining green onions. Mix to combine and simmer together for 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with cajun seasoning, salt and/or pepper to taste.
SERVE: Serve hot with garlic bread.

Notes

Substitute shallot for yellow or white onion. Substitute red for any color bell pepper. Substitute heavy cream for half and half if needed, but the sauce may not be as thick.
Different cajun seasonings have different levels of salt, so add to taste. Try my homemade cajun seasoning recipe to make your own.
To use shrimp: First, season shrimp with cajun seasoning. Sear shrimp then set aside. Make the rest of the recipe as directed. Add the shrimp in at the end with pasta and stir together for a few minutes to warm.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
The best way to reheat a creamy pasta sauce is in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a splash of water or milk to loosen up the pasta if needed. Stir while heating until warm throughout. I don’t recommend microwaving this pasta as it can cause the sauce to break.

Nutrition