Description
This Crawfish Fettuccine is a creamy, flavorful pasta dish featuring tender crawfish tails combined with a rich cheese and vegetable sauce. Perfect for seafood lovers, this recipe blends sautéed onions, peppers, and celery with Velveeta cheese and jalapeno for a comforting meal that serves eight.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
- 2/3 cup sliced green onions
- 1 celery rib, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno pepper
Dairy and Sauce Base
- 1–1/4 cups butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 oz. Velveeta, cubed
- 1 cup half-and-half cream
Pasta and Protein
- 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
- 1–1/2 pounds frozen cooked crawfish tails, thawed (or cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Sauté the Vegetables: In a Dutch oven or large skillet, melt the cubed butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, sweet red pepper, green onions, and celery. Cook the vegetables until they become crisp-tender, approximately five minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for one more minute to release its aroma.
- Make the Cheese Sauce: Stir in the all-purpose flour, blending it with the vegetables and butter. Cook and stir this mixture for an additional two minutes to form a roux. Gradually add the Velveeta cheese cubes, half-and-half cream, chopped jalapeno pepper, and salt. Continue stirring and cooking the sauce for about 10 minutes until it thickens and the cheese completely melts.
- Cook the Pasta: While the sauce is cooking, prepare the fettuccine according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta thoroughly to remove excess water.
- Combine Pasta and Crawfish: Stir the cooked fettuccine and thawed crawfish tails into the cheese and vegetable sauce. Cook the combined mixture uncovered over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated through, approximately 10 minutes. Check seasoning and adjust if needed.
Notes
- You can substitute cooked shrimp for the crawfish tails if preferred.
- Be careful with jalapeno quantity depending on your heat tolerance; reduce or omit if desired.
- Ensure crawfish tails are fully thawed if using frozen before adding to the sauce.
- This dish pairs well with a crisp green salad and crusty bread.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun
