One Pot Crawfish Pasta

This creamy Crawfish Pasta is rich, comforting and packed with Louisiana flavor. Crawfish tails, garlic, Cajun seasoning, Parmesan and cream cook together in one pot for an easy seafood pasta dinner that tastes restaurant-worthy.

If you love bold Louisiana flavors, this creamy crawfish pasta is going to become a new favorite, mark my words!

The dish takes inspiration from Crawfish Monica – an 80s classic created by Chef Pierre Hilzim for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (and sweetly named after his wife). I have made a few tweaks to the original recipe to make it my own – for one thing, everything cooks together in one pot so the pasta absorbs the flavorful stock and spices as it cooks.

It sounds fancy, tastes restaurant-worthy, but couldn’t be easier, or quicker to make. And if crawfish tails are hard to find, you can use shrimp, prawns or crab meat 😉

What You’ll Need

This easy crawfish pasta recipe comes together in 20 minutes all in one pan (gotta love a shortcut!). Let’s take a look at the key elements:

• Crawfish: Sweet, tender crawfish tails (a.k.a crayfish) are the star of the dish. Pre-cooked crawfish tails (often sold frozen) work perfectly and soak up the creamy Cajun sauce beautifully.
• Pasta: Long noodles such as spaghetti, bucatini or linguine or shorter shapes such as penne, rotini or shells.
• Cajun Seasoning: This spice blend usually contains paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder and herbs for a smoky, mildly spicy kick. Check your the spice levels of your seasoning and add according to your heat tolerance!
• Shallots: Shallots add a subtle sweetness and depth that forms the aromatic base of the sauce.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the sauce its savory backbone and pairs beautifully with seafood.
• Green Onions (a.k.a scallions / spring onions): Green onions add a fresh onion flavor and a little color. Both the white and green parts can be used.
• Chives and parsley: Chives provide a delicate onion flavor while parsley adds freshness and a pop of color.
• Butter and olive oil: To sauté the aromatics and add richness to the finished sauce.
• Tomato Paste: Tomato paste adds subtle sweetness and umami while giving the sauce a beautiful warm color.
• Dijon Mustard: Just a teaspoon enhances the depth of the sauce and balances the creaminess.
• Vegetable Stock: Vegetable or fish stock helps create the sauce base and adds savory flavor without overpowering the crawfish. Ideally you would be creating your own stock using the crawfish shells but we are aiming for quick and easy here…
• Heavy Cream: Just a splash of cream turns the sauce into and balances the Cajun spices.
• Grated Parmesan: Freshly grated parmesan melts into the sauce adding flavor and helping the sauce thicken.

How to Make My Crawfish Pasta Recipe

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large pan and sauté the shallots and green onions over low heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until softened.
2. Stir in the mustard, tomato paste, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper and cook for a minute or so. Add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
3. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in the pasta and cook for slightly longer than pack instructions, stirring once in a while to make sure the noodles are separate and don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep the pasta submerged in the liquid – if the pan is getting too dry add a splash of hot water.

1. Lower the heat and add the crawfish tails once the pasta in cooked but still al dente. Stir in the cream and grated Parmesan and simmer gently just for a minute or so to warm through. Go ahead and taste the sauce – add a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of extra Cajun seasoning if needed.
2. Garnish with chopped chives, parsley and lemon zest. Season with plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, serve and prepare to be showered with compliments!

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Don’t overcook the crayfish – a couple of minutes on a low simmer is all they need to warm through.
• Leftovers and storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of cream, milk, or stock to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended since cream sauces can become grainy when defrosted and reheated.
• Serving suggestions: This is a creamy, rich dish so keep the sides simple – roasted asparagus, a green salad or garlic bread if you absolutely must. Pair with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Rosé for date night!

Frequently Asked Questions

Fresh crawfish are most common during peak crawfish season (March-May). Outside Louisiana, fresh crawfish are harder to find – frozen crawfish tails are widely available at Walmart or directly from specialized suppliers such as the Louisiana Crawfish Co. In the UK you can buy frozen crayfish online – cooked fresh crayfish are sometimes available at Tesco, Waitrose and Morisons.

You can absolutely use shrimp to make this recipe if crawfish are unavailable! You just an equal amount of peeled and deveined shrimp (or prawns), chopped into bite-sized pieces. If using raw shrimp you will need to cook them for 3-4 minutes or until they turn pink.

It has mild heat from the Cajun seasoning, but you can adjust the spice level to taste. Serve with red pepper flakes for extra kick if you like a bit of heat!