Cajun Crawfish Pasta with Rustic Tomato Sauce

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 lb crawfish tail meat
• 12 oz rigatoni or penne pasta
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• ½ bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1–2 tsp Cajun seasoning
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• ½ cup seafood or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté for 4–5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Cajun seasoning, red pepper flakes and stock. Simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, allowing the tomatoes to break down slightly while keeping the sauce chunky.

Gently fold in the crawfish tail meat and cook for just 2–3 minutes, until heated through. Finish with lemon juice, parsley and green onions.

Spoon the crawfish and tomato mixture generously over the pasta and serve immediately.

CajunCrawfish Tip: Add your crawfish at the very end. The tails are already cooked, so a few minutes is all they need to stay tender and juicy.