FUSILLI ALFREDO WITH CRAWFISH DOPIAZA
If you live in Louisiana – Texas even – you’d know crawfish season is a big deal. Although projected to begin around late November and carry on through July (weather ultimately playing a contributing factor each season) it’s late February, around Christian observance of Lent, when celebrating these Procambarus mudbugs commences here in New Orleans; with peak months being March, April and May.
My Fusilli Alfredo with Crawfish Dopiaza is a Southeastern/South Asian – Southern Italian e Romano inspired dish that highlight these freshwater yabbies. Crawfish tails sautéed in a trinity of heady aromatics, combined with the sharp and sweet taste of Patak’s Dopiaza Curry Simmer Sauce, bedizen fusilli pasta clad in a rich, salinitous Alfredo sauce of coconut milk and Pecorino Romano.
Luxurious as this recipe may sound; you’ll be luxuriating in the kitchen for no longer than it takes to cook the pasta to make it.
PREP/COOK TIME: 18 Minutes
Makes 4 Servings
INGREDIENTS
1 Lb – Fusilli Pasta
1 (25.36 Oz) Container – Thai Kitchen® Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 Cup – Grated Pecorino Romano
1 (15 Oz) Jar – Patak's® Dopiaza Curry Simmer Sauce
1 (16 Oz) Package – Frozen Cleaned & Peeled Crawfish Tails, Thawed and Drained
¼ Cup – Unsalted Butter
2 Tb – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp – Ground Ginger
1 small – Vidalia Onion, Peeled and Finely Minced
1 ½ Tsp – Kosher Salt, plus a generous amount for Pasta
½ Tsp – Coarse Ground Black Pepper
2 Cloves – Garlic, Peeled and Finely Minced
¼ Cup – Chopped Cilantro
Zest and Juice of One Small Lime (Optional)
THE NITTY GRITTY
In a large pot, bring 2 qts of salted water to a boil. Add fusilli and stir vigorously. Cook for 6 minutes.
While that’s happening, in a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tb butter and 1 Tb olive oil at medium high till butter’s melted. Add ground ginger first; stirring constantly to cook out rawness. Add minced onions, ½ Tsp salt and black pepper; cook till onions begin to sweat. Add minced garlic; stir and cook till fragrant. Add thawed crawfish tails; cook till any liquid has dissipated and onions appear slightly translucent. Pour Patak's® Dopiaza Curry Simmer Sauce with 2 Tb water to sautéed crawfish; bring to a rapid simmer. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 5 minutes; remove from heat.
Reserve ½ Cup pasta water before draining. In the same pot heat 3 Tb butter and 1 Tb olive at medium high till butter is once again, butter’s melted. Add coconut milk and stir; bring to a rapid simmer before adding pasta. Add pasta and stir. Reduce heat to medium; stirring continuously for about a minute before adding cheese. Once cheese is added, keep stirring unremittingly till sauce thickens and adheres to pasta. If sauce thickens too quickly before serving, add some reserved water to thin it out.
Transfer fusilli Alfredo to a large warm serving bowl; sprawl crawfish Dopiaza atop. Garnish with cilantro along with a few grates of lime zest and a liberal splash or two of fresh lime juice. Serve and enjoy!!
MARCH 16, 2022
