By Spring. The azaleas are rioting. Tommy's birthday — forty-one — passed with the standard boil and Mama's cake. The handwriting shakes more. The cake tastes the same. Consistency is love's most underrated expression. Made crawfish pasta for the leftovers, because leftover crawfish is not a problem. Leftover crawfish is an opportunity.
Forty-one candles and a pile of leftover crawfish tails in the fridge — that’s not a problem, that’s practically a gift. I pulled together a simple cream sauce, tossed the tails in right at the end so they didn’t overcook, and sat down to what felt like a second birthday dinner, quieter and maybe even better. Mama’s cake was already gone, but this more than held its own.
Cream Sauce for Pasta
Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 12 oz fettuccine or linguine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 lb cooked crawfish tail meat (leftover boiled crawfish works perfectly)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- Build the sauce base. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
- Add the cream. Pour in the heavy cream and milk. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken slightly.
- Finish with Parmesan. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the Parmesan a little at a time until fully melted and incorporated. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Add the crawfish. Fold in the crawfish tail meat and let it warm through in the sauce for 2–3 minutes. Do not overcook — you just want them heated through.
- Toss and serve. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce needs loosening. Plate and garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 620 | Protein: 32g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 58g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 480mg