Bayou Pasta Recipe

Cook linguine

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add 12 oz linguine and cook until al dente according to package instructions (about 9–11 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set pasta aside.

Sauté aromatics

In a large deep skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, melt 2 tbs unsalted butter with 1 tbs olive oil. Add the minced shallot and cook 2–3 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the 3 minced garlic cloves and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, stirring to avoid browning.

Deglaze & reduce

Increase heat to medium-high, pour in 1 cup dry white wine, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Let the wine reduce by about half, approximately 2–3 minutes.

Build the cream sauce

Add 1 cup chicken broth and 1 cup heavy cream to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk in 2 oz softened cream cheese until smooth. Stir in 1 cup grated Parmesan until melted and combined. Add 1 tbs lemon juice, 2 tsp Cajun seasoning (use half now and reserve half for crawfish/shrimp if desired), 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. Simmer gently 3–4 minutes until sauce slightly thickens.

Finish pasta

Add the drained linguine to the sauce and toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water 1/4 cup at a time until desired consistency (use up to 1 cup). Stir in 1 tbs butter and adjust seasoning to taste. Keep sauce warm on very low heat while you prepare the seafood.

Season crawfish

Pat 10 oz cooked crawfish tails dry with paper towels. Toss gently with 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and 1 tsp of the reserved Cajun seasoning so the crawfish are evenly coated.

Blacken jumbo shrimp

Make the blackening mix by combining 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp Cajun seasoning (use the remaining Cajun if you reserved earlier). Pat 12 jumbo shrimp dry and coat both sides with the blackening mix. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot, add 2 tbs vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Sear the shrimp in a single layer for 1.5–2 minutes per side until blackened and just cooked through (internal temp ~120–130°F for best tenderness). Remove shrimp to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

Warm crawfish in sauce

Gently fold the seasoned crawfish tails into the warm cream sauce with the linguine (or heat them separately for 1–2 minutes in a small pan with 1 tbs butter if you prefer). Cook just until heated through, about 1–2 minutes — avoid overcooking crawfish to prevent toughness.

Plate the pasta: divide the creamy crawfish linguine among 4 plates (or bowls).

Top each portion with 3 blackened jumbo shrimp arranged on top of the pasta.

Garnish with 3 tbs chopped green onions, 2 tbs chopped parsley, and a drizzle of hot sauce if desired. Serve immediately.