CRAWFISH STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Yields: 6 Servings

Comment:
Here is another example of the innovative Creoles using a seafood stuffing to create an interesting entrée. Normally this was done in either chicken or in turbans of trout. In this recipe, the crawfish is stuffed into Italian pasta shells and baked. This dish is wonderful when topped with Sauce Acadian.

Ingredients:
2 pounds crawfish tails, chopped
1 box jumbo pasta shells
¼ pound butter
1 cup minced onions
½ cup minced green bell peppers
½ cup minced red bell peppers
3 tbsps minced garlic
4 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsps Louisiana hot sauce
salt to taste
Creole seasoning to taste
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian bread crumbs

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Boil pasta according to package directions until al dente and set aside. Be careful not to overcook, or pasta shells will fall apart. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and bell peppers. Sauté 1–2 minutes or until wilted. Stir in garlic and crawfish tails and heat thoroughly. Blend in Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt and Creole seasoning. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add eggs to crawfish mixture. Fold in Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Stuff each pasta shell with an equal amount of crawfish stuffing. Place shells in a 9" x 13" baking pan. Cover with your favorite pasta sauce or alfredo. If desired, create a sauce by blending 2 cans cream of shrimp soup with ½ cup white wine. Bake 15–20 minutes or until stuffing is completely heated.