Hey y’all! How are ya’ll surviving quarantine? My husband and I have been tackling things around the house in-between work and homeschooling. I started off by painting our breakfast nook which has now expanded into the dining room and we are currently awaiting scaffolding so that we can tackle our main living space! I’ve learned so much about the paint color selection process that I will be sharing a blog post on it soon!
Okay, so on to the fettucini! If you are a purist and love to cook authentic Italian dishes, you will have to step outside of the box for this recipe. I love a good fettucini alfredo (my favorite cheat meal), but you cannot put both of these dishes in the same category. Us Cajuns love to step outside of the box and use things that we already have around the house to help us feed an army. Because, in the Cajun culture, you are born and bred to feed the masses. Can I just say that I miss block parties and feeding all of our Cajun Corner neighbors?!
Before I go on to the recipe, I wanted to mention that this dish is wonderful to seperate out and stick into the freezer for up to 6-ish months? Just prepare it and stick it into the freezer instead of the oven. When ready to use, thaw and bake according to the directions below. It also makes a wonderful meal for meal trains, I deliver it with the baking/freezing instructions so that they have the option to bake now or freeze for later.
Crawfish Fettucini
- 1 1/2 sticks of butter
- Chopped Cajun Seasoning ( I use one large container of it. If you cannot find precut Cajun/Creole seasoning; 1 medium white onion, 1 bell pepper, 1-2 stalks of celery.
- 2-3 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1/8 c. All- Purpose Flour
- 1lb of Velveeta Cheese, cubed
- 1 quart half and half cream
- 2 lbs of crawfish tails or raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 12 oz package of fettuccini noodles or egg noodles. We actually prefer the “spiraly” egg noodles. Cook pasta according to directions, drain and then toss with a few tablespoons of olive oil.
- Cajun Seasoning to taste, I usually use crawfish tails from our boils so I usually don’t have to add much. If I use shrimp or packs of Louisiana crawfish, I usually have to add more.
- 1/4 to 1/2c. Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Lasagna pan 10×14 (link to the one that I use here and here, I have both)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a 5qt pot (I like to use this one), melt your butter. Add your onions, bell pepper and celery and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about a minute, then stir in the flour and cook over low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in half and half cream, when cream is heated through, add your cubed Velveeta. This is where I like to turn my fire down low as this can turn into a burnt mess, really fast! You will need to stir with lots of TLC until melted. Once melted, add your crawfish or shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently. You don’t want your cheese to stick and burn! Believe me, I’ve learned this mistake the hard way! Turn off your heat and add in the parmesan cheese. Throw your pasta into the pan and add in the cheese mixture. I like to stir the sauce and pasta in the pan to make sure everything is equally distributed. It will seem watery! No worries, I promise! Once it is all combined, top pan with foil and bake covered for 45 minutes! Let rest for about 15 minutes before serving. Will feed 8-10 people.
I love to serve the fettuccini with a side salad and garlic bread. Yes, I know that is a lot of carbs, but that is just the way we serve it where I am from.
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