Whether it’s the original introduced at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival or just for any version using the bounty of crawfish season, Texans crave this pasta from the far side of the Sabine River. Here’s my version that doesn’t use any trademarked person’s name, so you can enjoy it without inviting your lawyer. Unless you want to, of course.
1 pound of dry rotini pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can Italian-style chopped tomatoes
Creole seasoning
Crushed red pepper
1 stick butter
1 pound of fresh, cooked or frozen Louisiana crawfish tails, undrained
Dry white wine
2 green onions, sliced
2 cups of half and half
Chopped parsley
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Rinse and drain well. Prepare a base by sautéing the onion, green pepper, celery, carrot and garlic in the olive oil until golden and caramelized. Add the chopped tomatoes, season to taste with Creole seasoning and crushed red pepper, and cook briefly. Puree this mixture in a blender or food processor. In a large pan, melt the butter and sauté the crawfish tails, incorporating any “fat” from the package for flavor. Deglaze the pan with white wine. When nearly all the wine has evaporated, stir in the green onions followed by the half and half, bringing to a boil. Add the puree. Quickly toss the cooked pasta in the sauce. Garnish with parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty French bread. Serves 6-8.
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