Ralph & Kacoo's Seafood Pasta

Ralph & Kacoo's was a local, Louisiana restaurant that has changed hands several times. This is one of their original recipes that I'd saved from their newsletter from 1995 and was always one of my favorite dishes containing a variety of seafood (shrimp, oysters, crawfish) and a spicy Cajun ham called "Tasso". NOTE REGARDING TASSO: [TAH-soh; TA-soh] Much to the disappointment of many, this Cajun specialty is generally hard to find outside Louisiana. Tasso is a lean chunk of cured pork (usually shoulder) or beef that's been richly seasoned with ingredients such as red pepper, garlic, filé powder and any of several other herbs or spices, depending on the manufacturer. It's then smoked for about (again, depending on the cook) 2 days. The result is a firm, smoky and flavorfully tangy meat that is principally used for seasoning. Outside of Cajun country, tasso is available in some specialty gourmet shops and by mail order. If you can't find Tasso in your area, use a strong smoked ham. Or just move down here to Louisiana.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 8-12

Ingredients

• 6  ounces butter, unsalted
• 2  teaspoons garlic, chopped
• 16  ounces tasso
• 16  ounces shrimp
• 8  ounces crawfish tails
• 32  ounces  whipping cream
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  cups  oysters, liquid reserved
• 1⁄4 cup green onion, chopped
• 16  ounces  cooked pasta noodles (bowtie, rotelle, etc)

Directions

1. In a heavy skillet, melt butter on medium heat until about one-half melted.
2. Add garlic and saute, stirring constantly.
3. Add tasso. Brown over high heat until tasso starts to stick to skillet.
4. Turn heat down to a medium heat and add shrimp and crawfish tails.
5. Simmer until shrimp start to curl, stirring constantly.
6. Add whipping cream, stirring until the mixture reaches a boil. Boil for two minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Add cooked pasta and salt.
8. Cook until sauce thickens, stirring often.
9. Add oysters and juice.
10. Simmer and stir occasionally until the oysters begin to curl.
11. Sprinkle green onions over the sauce.
12. .