Recipe: Louisiana Seafood Pasta

LOUISIANA SEAFOOD PASTA

"Here's my take on the very rich, Creole-seasoned, chock-full-of-seafood pasta dish that became popular in the early 1980s, and remains so today. When crawfish are in season, use them instead of the scallops."

2 pounds farfalle pasta, uncooked
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Pinch saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch ground cayenne pepper
Pinch ground ginger
1 pound sea scallops, halved crosswise
1 pound medium (20-25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 dozen fresh, shucked oysters
1/2 teaspoon fresh tarragon (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1 pound lump crabmeat

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions and shallots and cook until they're limp.

Add the wine and reduce until most of the liquid is gone.

Add the heavy cream, saffron, salt, pepper, cayenne and ginger, and bring to a light boil. (Also add tarragon at this point if using dried.)

Add the scallops and shrimp and cook for 4 minutes. Add the oysters and fresh tarragon. Cook until edges of oysters are curly, then add the crabmeat. Throughout the process, shake the skillet to slosh the sauce over the seafood. Taste the sauce and add salt if necessary. You can also spice it up with a bit of Tabasco or crushed red pepper.

Remove from the heat. Add the cooked and drained pasta and toss until well combined.

Makes 8 servings
Source: New Orleans Food by Tom Fitzmorris