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Creamy crawfish pasta made with tender crawfish tails, pasta, and Creole seasoning in a rich Cajun-style sauce. This single serving crawfish pasta is ready in about 30 minutes and brings the bold flavors of Louisiana to a perfectly portioned meal for one.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Single Serving: This crawfish pasta recipe makes the perfect amount for one.
- Ready in About 30 Minutes: The pasta cooks while the sauce comes together in one skillet, making this a quick seafood dinner.
- Classic Cajun Flavor: Crawfish tails, Creole seasoning, and the traditional Cajun vegetable base create the bold flavor in this dish.
- Rich and Creamy Sauce: The sauce lightly coats the pasta and crawfish, giving each bite a smooth, flavorful finish.
- Easy to Customize: Add shrimp, adjust the spice level, or stir in a splash of cream to make the dish your own.
Crawfish pasta is a Louisiana seafood dish made with crawfish tails and pasta tossed in a rich, well seasoned sauce. Dishes like this grew out of Cajun and Creole cooking in South Louisiana, where crawfish are plentiful and often used in recipes like crawfish étouffée and seafood gumbo. It’s also closely related to Crawfish Monica, the famous creamy crawfish pasta served at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Growing up in Louisiana, crawfish were always part of everyday cooking, from backyard boils with friends and family to seafood dishes served at local restaurants. My crawfish pasta recipe reminds me of those bold, comforting seafood dishes that show up all over South Louisiana, full of flavor and loaded with sweet crawfish.
Looking for more single serving Louisiana recipes? Try my single serving shrimp creole, single serving jambalaya, and small king cake recipes.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this crawfish pasta recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Butter: Used to sauté the vegetables and build the rich base of the sauce. Butter adds flavor and helps soften the vegetables. Olive oil can be used instead if preferred.
- Vegetables: Onion, green bell pepper, celery, and garlic form the classic Cajun “trinity,” which builds the flavor foundation of many Louisiana dishes. These vegetables are also used in our seafood gumbo for one, shrimp creole for one, and single serving jambalaya.
- Flour: A small amount of all purpose flour thickens the sauce.
- Tomato paste: Adds deep tomato flavor and richness to the sauce. If you have extra tomato paste, use it in lasagna soup for one, mushroom pasta for one, or beef stew for one.
- Crawfish: Crawfish tails are the star of this dish and give the pasta its classic Louisiana flavor. Look for frozen Louisiana crawfish tails in the seafood section of your grocery store, or use meat from freshly boiled crawfish. If crawfish are unavailable, shrimp or crab make good substitutes. Extra crawfish can be used to make a small batch of crawfish beignets.
- Creole seasoning: This blend of spices gives the pasta its bold Cajun flavor. Use homemade Creole seasoning or store brands like Tony Chachere’s or Emeril’s.
- Chicken broth: Adds depth and helps create the sauce. I prefer using low sodium chicken broth so the salt level can be controlled. Vegetable broth can also be used. Extra broth can be used in chicken marsala for one, single serving potato soup, or small slow cooker red beans and rice.
- Pasta: Small pasta shapes such as mini shells work well because they hold the sauce and crawfish in each bite. For this single serving recipe, use 2 ounces of dried pasta, about 1/2 cup. Whole wheat or gluten free pasta can also be used. Extra pasta can be used in a small batch of minestrone soup, single serving Italian pasta salad, or chicken paprika for one.
Recipe Variations
This small batch crawfish pasta is easy to adjust depending on the flavors you enjoy.
- Creamy Crawfish Pasta: Stir in a splash of heavy cream at the end of cooking for a richer, creamier sauce.
- Spicier Version: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or extra Creole seasoning for more heat.
- Shrimp and Crawfish Pasta: Replace half of the crawfish with peeled shrimp for a seafood pasta with two classic Louisiana ingredients.
How To Make Crawfish Pasta
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Cook the pasta:
Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. - Cook the vegetables:
While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. - Add the flour and tomato paste:
Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. - Add the crawfish:
Stir in the crawfish tails and Creole seasoning. Cook for about 2 minutes. - Add the broth:
Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. - Combine and finish:
Add the cooked pasta and stir to coat it in the sauce. Stir in a small piece of butter until melted. - Garnish and serve:
Transfer to a bowl and top with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley if desired. Serve warm.
Expert Tips
- Do Not Overcook the Crawfish: Crawfish tails are already cooked. Heat them just until warmed through so they stay tender.
- Cook the Flour for One Minute: After stirring the flour into the vegetables, cook it for about 1 minute while stirring. This step helps the flour blend smoothly into the sauce.
- Watch the Sauce Consistency: The sauce should be slightly thick and coat the pasta. If it becomes too thick, stir in a small splash of broth to loosen it.
- Use Louisiana Crawfish if Possible: Frozen Louisiana crawfish tails typically have better flavor than imported crawfish and are widely available in the freezer section of many grocery stores.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crawfish have a mildly sweet flavor and tender texture that is similar to lobster or shrimp. They absorb seasonings well, which makes them ideal for Cajun and Creole dishes.
Crawfish tails are usually sold frozen in the seafood section of many grocery stores. Look for packages labeled Louisiana crawfish if possible.
Yes. Shrimp is the easiest substitute if crawfish are not available. Use peeled shrimp and cook them until just pink and opaque.
Crawfish Monica is a creamy crawfish pasta dish made famous at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
RELATED: Comfort Food Recipes For One
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this crawfish pasta or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Crawfish Pasta For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked small shaped pasta (2 oz)
- 1 ½ tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped green bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons chopped celery
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon tomato paste
- ½ cup cooked crawfish tails (1 ½ oz)
- ¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning
- ¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
- Add the crawfish tails and Creole seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta and the remaining ½ tablespoon of butter. Stir until the pasta is coated in the sauce and the butter has melted.
Notes
- Do Not Overcook the Crawfish: Crawfish tails are already cooked. Heat them just until warmed through so they stay tender.
- Cook the Flour for One Minute: After stirring the flour into the vegetables, cook it for about 1 minute while stirring. This step helps the flour blend smoothly into the sauce.
- Watch the Sauce Consistency: The sauce should be slightly thick and coat the pasta. If it becomes too thick, stir in a small splash of broth to loosen it.
- Use Louisiana Crawfish if Possible: Frozen Louisiana crawfish tails typically have better flavor than imported crawfish and are widely available in the freezer section of many grocery stores.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Frozen crawfish were easy enough to find in my local supermarket, so I used them. I’ve been to “crawdad boils” at outdoor parties but never prepared them myself. I’ll get fresh ones, when I find a source, so I can try the remaining recipes. It’s as much fun to make them as it is delicious to eat them. Yum!
I live in Michigan and crayfish are not readily available. What would be a good substitute?
Shrimp would be a great substitute.
I’m from New Orleans and you’ve got it spot on. 👍⚜️
Thanks, Sharon!