Serves 6
90 min
Creole Crawfish Baked Ziti
Recipe GLPR5b9087ea593934
A Louisiana-inspired baked pasta featuring tender crawfish tails in a rich, aromatic Creole sauce. The dish combines a dark roux base with the holy trinity of onions, bell peppers, and celery, enhanced with garlic, tomato, and warming spices. Ziti pasta is tossed with the creamy crawfish sauce, topped with melted cheese, and baked until golden. This one-dish meal brings authentic Creole flavor to your table.
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
½ cup green or red bell pepper, diced
½ cup celery, diced
3 green onions, white and green parts separated
3 cloves garlic cloves, minced
30 oz seafood stock
2 cups half and half cream
3 tablespoons tomato paste
14½ oz diced canned tomatoes
1 large bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1½ tablespoons creole seasoning
10 oz queso melt or smoked gouda
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 pound crawfish tails, thawed if frozen
1 pound ziti pasta
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook ziti pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain and set aside.
While pasta cooks, prepare the roux: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into the oil and stir constantly for 5-7 minutes until the roux reaches a chocolate brown color, watching carefully to prevent burning.
Add butter to the roux and stir until melted. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, celery, and the white parts of the green onions. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften.
Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, allowing it to caramelize slightly into the roux.
Pour in the seafood stock and half and half, stirring constantly to dissolve any lumps. Add the canned diced tomatoes with their juice, bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary. Season with creole seasoning to taste.
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf.
Stir the queso melt into the sauce until completely melted and smooth. Add lime juice and adjust seasoning with additional creole seasoning if desired.
Gently fold the crawfish tails into the sauce, being careful not to break them. Stir in the cooked ziti pasta and fresh parsley until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish. Top evenly with grated parmesan cheese.
Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the mixture is bubbling around the edges.
Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with reserved green parts of green onions and additional fresh parsley.
