If you make it to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, you’ll almost certainly encounter Crawfish Monica. This beloved festival dish is a simple yet rich pasta tossed in a creamy, seasoned sauce studded with tender crawfish tails. It’s served from many food stands and always disappears fast.
The sauce is rich and creamy, flavored with seasoned crawfish tails and folded into rotini pasta (some vendors use other short pastas). This easy crawfish pasta is very similar to what locals sometimes call crawfish fettuccine in south Louisiana.
History Tidbit: Chef Pierre Hilzim created the original recipe and named it after his wife, Monica Davidson.
Crawfish Monica Ingredients
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
How to Cook Crawfish Monica
This overview covers the main steps. Follow the recipe card further down for exact measurements and timing.
Hint: Reserve a cup of pasta cooking water. If the pasta sits and the sauce becomes stiff, add a little of that water to loosen and refresh the cream sauce.
Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Shrimp – Substitute medium shrimp for the crawfish for a different seafood twist.
- Sweet onions – If shallots aren’t available, use a sweet onion finely chopped for a milder, sweeter flavor.
- Asiago – Asiago melts like Parmesan and adds a lovely tang; it works well as a substitute.
- Olive oil – Swap butter for olive oil if you prefer.
- Spicy – Add red pepper flakes or extra cayenne for more heat.
- Deluxe – Add shrimp and lump crabmeat to make a richer seafood pasta.
- Kid friendly – Mince shallots very finely so they blend into the sauce. Add parsley and green onions after plating the kids’ portions if they’re picky about visible vegetables.
Other crawfish dishes I think you’ll love
-
Creamy Crawfish Ravioli
-
Cajun Crawfish Etouffee
-
Crawfish Pistolettes
-
Crawfish Bread
Mel’s kitchen notes
Leftover tails from a crawfish boil give the best flavor for this dish, since they’re already seasoned. If you like extra depth, simmer a few reserved crawfish shells in the pasta cooking water to create a light shellfish stock for the noodles.
About The Author
Melanie Cagle
Melanie is a food photographer, home cook, and Cajun food enthusiast. Since 2020 she’s shared tested recipes and tutorials on the blog.
Her work has been featured on national outlets and she has appeared on the Food Network show “100 Cooks”.
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Crawfish Monica
A Jazz Fest favorite: creamy pasta tossed with seasoned crawfish tails and Parmesan. Simple to make and big on flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 pound crawfish tails
- 1 pound rotini pasta
- 1 tablespoon liquid garlic-and-onion shrimp & crab boil (optional)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 large shallots, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons garlic-Asiago all-purpose seasoning (optional)
Instructions
- Peel the crawfish and set aside enough tails to equal 1 pound. If using frozen tails, thaw completely.
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water; drain the pasta and set aside.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped shallots and cook until translucent, a few minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes until aromatic.
- Stir in the Creole seasoning and cayenne pepper, then add the white wine and let it reduce slightly.
- Slowly pour in the heavy cream, stirring constantly, and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the lemon juice, then fold in the crawfish tails; cook 2–3 minutes until heated through and bubbling.
- Stir in the chopped parsley and green onions.
- Add the grated Parmesan and stir until melted and fully incorporated.
- Mix the cooked pasta into the sauce and toss over low heat until combined. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Finish with a sprinkle of extra cheese at the table and serve immediately with a green salad and crusty bread.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stove, adding a splash of milk or reserved pasta water if the sauce has thickened.
Notes
- For more shellfish flavor, simmer a few peeled crawfish shells in the pasta cooking water to make a light stock for the noodles.
- Reserve extra grated cheese for sprinkling when serving.
- If using frozen store-bought crawfish tails, choose Louisiana-sourced tails when possible for better flavor.
Nutrition (per serving, approximate)
Calories: 392 kcal | Carbs: 20 g | Protein: 15 g | Fat: 28 g | Saturated Fat: 17 g | Sodium: 550 mg
This Crawfish Monica recipe was originally posted in 2021.