Cajun/Creole · main

Crawfish Fettuccine

Crawfish Fettuccine reads richness 5.8, umami 5.2 and allium 4.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cajun/Creole main, about 37 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.0 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.5 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 0.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.4 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.0 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.8 · Umami 5.2 · Allium 4.1 · Salinity 3.9 · Marine & Briny 3.4 · Heat 2.8 · Sweetness 2.3 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Earthy 1.2 · Bitterness 1.0 · Funk & Ferment 0.9 · Floral 0.7 · Nutty 0.7 · Sourness 0.7 · Citrus 0.5

What's in it (16)

• fettuccine — 340 g
• unsalted butter — 54 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• green bell pepper — 100 g
• celery — 80 g
• garlic — 9 g
• all-purpose flour — 15 g
• chicken broth — 237 g
• heavy cream — 237 g
• cream cheese — 227 g
• frozen shrimp — 454 g
• creole seasoning — 7 g
• cayenne pepper — 3 g
• salt — 5 g
• shredded monterey jack cheese — 170 g
• green onions — 59 g

Time & effort: about 37 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 194.4 kcal, 9.5 g protein, 12.9 g fat, 15 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil; cook the fettuccine until just shy of al dente per package directions, about 8-9 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, and toss with 1 tablespoon of the butter to keep it from sticking.
2. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat; add the onion, bell pepper, and celery, and sweat until softened and translucent, 6-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly to cook out the raw flour taste, 1-2 minutes, until lightly golden and paste-like.
4. Whisk in the chicken broth gradually, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom; bring to a simmer and stir until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to low; stir in the heavy cream and cream cheese cubes, whisking until the cream cheese fully melts and the sauce is smooth, 3-4 minutes.
6. Add the crawfish tails, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne; stir to combine and simmer gently until the crawfish is heated through, 4-5 minutes — do not let it boil hard, or the crawfish turns rubbery.
7. Stir in the shredded Monterey Jack cheese a handful at a time until melted and the sauce turns glossy, 2-3 minutes.
8. Add the drained fettuccine to the sauce and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until the sauce clings silkily to the noodles, about 2 minutes.
9. Taste and adjust the salt, then plate, topped with the chopped green onions.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles) — Indonesian
• Jamaican Pepper Shrimp — Jamaican
• Crawfish Étouffée — Cajun/Creole
• Crawfish Pie — Cajun/Creole
• Mirliton and Shrimp Casserole — Cajun/Creole

Keep reading: what richness, umami, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.