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seafood monica

🍤 Seafood Monica Recipe Card

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 560
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined (or mix with crawfish, crab, or scallops)
  • 12 oz rotini or penne pasta
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup half-and-half or whole milk
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning adjust to taste
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper optional, for extra heat
  • ½ cup white wine or chicken broth
  • Salt & black pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
  • Lemon wedges for serving

Method
 

Cook Pasta:
  1. Bring salted water to a boil, cook pasta until al dente, drain, and set aside.
Cook Seafood:
  1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil/butter. Add shrimp (or other seafood) and season lightly with Cajun seasoning. Cook 2–3 minutes until just opaque. Remove and set aside.
Build Sauce Base:
  1. In the same skillet, add remaining oil/butter. Sauté onion, garlic, and bell pepper until softened (3–4 minutes).
Deglaze:
  1. Add white wine (or broth), scraping up any browned bits. Simmer 2–3 minutes.
Make Cream Sauce:
  1. Stir in heavy cream, half-and-half, Parmesan, Cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5–7 minutes until slightly thickened.
Combine:
  1. Add cooked pasta and shrimp back into skillet. Toss well to coat everything in the creamy sauce.
Serve:
  1. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges. Serve hot.

Notes

Adjust cream-to-milk ratio for desired richness.
Add crawfish tails or lump crabmeat for an authentic Jazz Fest vibe.
For a lighter version, substitute Greek yogurt or evaporated milk for some cream.
Tastes even better with crusty French bread to soak up the sauce!