Spatula Diaries: Cooking with crawfish while it’s still available

Crawfish pasta. Photo by Maggie Heyn Richardson

Get ’em quick: Crawfish tails around for a few more weeks

Crawfish season seems like a thing of the past, right? Backyard boils, Sunday etouffee and rural crawfish festivals are fixtures of spring, not fall. But let’s not be too hasty. One-pound packages of Louisiana crawfish tails are still available in many independent grocery stores, and they should be around for another three weeks, says Blaise Calandro III of Calandro’s Supermarkets. In fact, it’s only between November and February when local tails are not commercially available, Calandro adds.

So stock up, because in addition to being full of flavor, crawfish tails are one of easiest and most convenient ingredients around, especially if you’re a working parent. I can attest. Earlier this week, I found myself trying to pull together dinner at the absolute last minute, and a pound of crawfish tails stashed in my freezer saved me. Unlike shrimp, crawfish don’t have to be peeled. And unlike other proteins, they thaw super fast in running water and they require only minimal seasoning because of all that luscious crawfish fat. You don’t have to light the grill or turn on the oven to cook them through. All you need is a big skillet and a little creativity.

This slightly creamy crawfish pasta is satisfying and elegant without being too heavy. The tomatoes and fresh basil give it terrific freshness. Serve with a green salad and you’ve got a cozy, well-rounded dinner.

Crawfish Pasta

Serves 4-6

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bell pepper, (preferably red, orange or yellow), chopped
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 pound package Louisiana crawfish tails, with fat
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound dried spaghetti
Grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil for garnish

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pepper and onion and cook about 3 minutes until soft. Add grape tomatoes and sauté for about one minute. Add crawfish tails and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the tails are curled and cooked through. Add wine and let simmer for 2 minutes. Add cream, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Turn off the heat. Cook the pasta to al dente, then remove from water and add to the skillet with the sauce. Toss well with tongs. If pasta needs more liquid, add a small amount of pasta water.

Serve immediately with fresh basil slivers.

And even though purists get the vapors if you combine seafood and parmesan cheese, a little grated parm is lovely on this dish. Enjoy.

Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the author of the new book, Hungry for Louisiana, An Omnivore’s Journey, which explores eight of Louisiana’s most emblematic foods, including crawfish. Reach her through her website, hungryforlouisiana.com and follow her on Twitter @mhrwriter.