Crawfish Pasta...or Redemption, whichever

After the horrific jambalaya I made last week, I was out for vindication. This time, I picked a recipe that I knew worked. I picked something that could never let me down. It was go time. Diet or no diet, I had to go with what I knew best...

Alfredo.

Brian and I love us some Alfredo. If it's on a menu anywhere we go, chances are one of us (or both, just being honest) is going to order it. There's no getting around it. Alfredo was actually the first thing I ever cooked for Brian. It's a funny story that I will have to share with my recipe for regular, yummy Alfredo.

I first saw this recipe on Elizabeth's Edible Experience. She's a Louisiana gal like myself, so I love reading the Louisiana style recipes she puts up. The recipe is an Emeril recipe and the original recipe calls for A LOT of butter. I normally cut it down by at least half.

Crawfish and Cream over Pasta
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

1 pound linguine or fettuccine
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons Tony Chachere's
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound crawfish tails*
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan

Directions
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Return to the pot and toss with the olive oil and reserved cooking liquid. Cover to keep warm.

In a large saute pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Essence, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook over high heat until nearly all evaporated. Add the cream lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced. Add the crawfish tails and cook, stirring, to warm through. Add the onions and parsley and cook for 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat with the sauce. Cook until the pasta is warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 cup of the cheese.

Turn out into a serving bowl and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Serve.

*Peeled medium shrimp can be substituted, but the cooking time must be increased to allow thorough cooking.



Yum.