original crawfish or shrimp monica
Unlike Crawfish Etoufee, this rich, creamy dish is so simple, with only a handful of ingredients, yet very flavorful. Some recipes get too complicated, and the original Crawfish Monica recipe didn't have all that stuff in it. Try this for yourself and see what I mean. Use only Louisiana crawfish - not Chinese. If you don't have crawfish, use bay scallops, 60-70 count small shrimp, or lump crabmeat (add last and fold in gently). The sauce is excellent over Redfish on da Half Shell or grilled filets - I call it Redfish Monica.
Blue Ribbon Recipe
If you can't make it to New Orleans for Jazz Fest, with this recipe, you can make Crawfish Monica in your own kitchen. One bite, and we knew why attendees love it. This pasta dish has a simple, creamy sauce with classic Creole flavors. Green onions and garlic add a pop of flavor. It's full of Louisiana crawfish, and we think it would be great with shrimp as well. At first, the sauce may seem runny, but once the pasta is added, it soaks up the sauce and all its flavor for a hearty pasta meal. We used rotini, but any type can be used.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta (fettuccine, linguine, rotini, penne, or bowties)
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced
- 1 stick butter
- 1-2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 pound Louisiana crawfish
- 1 pint half and half
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, more or less to taste
- salt, to taste
How To Make original crawfish or shrimp monica
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Step 1Cook pasta in salt water according to the directions on the package. Drain, then rinse under cool water to stop the cooking. Drain again, thoroughly. -
Step 2Chop the entire bunch of green onions. Reserve about 1 Tbsp of the green tops for the topping if you'd like.
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Step 3Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute onions for about 3 minutes.
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Step 4Add garlic and cook another 3 minutes.
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Step 5Add the crawfish and stir until incorporated.
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Step 6Slowly add the half and half.
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Step 7Add Creole seasoning.
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Step 8Cook for 5 - 10 minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
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Step 9Add the pasta to the pot and toss well.
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Step 10Add more seasoning if needed. Serve immediately with lots of French bread and a nice white wine.
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Step 11*COOK'S NOTE: Sometimes I use half heavy cream and half and half, or in other words, 1 1/3 cups heavy cream and 2/3 cups milk. I generally buy heavy cream because it can be cut with milk to make half and half. The sauce seems to thicken better than straight half and half, but using all heavy cream is too thick.
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