Blackened Catfish Alfredo

When you live exactly 1.5 million miles away from the ocean, seafood can be pretty hard to come by….most of the time.

Thankfully, Oklahoma adapted. No seafood? No problem. We’ve got the bottom-feeder catfish to sustain our fishy fantasies. The freshwater fish is probably an acquired taste to most, and most of the time it’s deep-fried to cover-up its pungent aroma.

I’ve found that Vietnamese catfish—but don’t call it that, American farmers put the kibosh on that phrase—is so much cleaner tasting. The meat is tender and juicy, and you don’t get that dirty vibe.

You can even cook it in ways other than just frying! What’s more to like?!

I’ve been on a blackened kick, and blackened catfish is my absolute favorite. It’s crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and oh so flavorful. The trick to blackening catfish is you’ve got to let those babies really cook in some hot oil—for at least four to five minutes. You’ve also got to put a bunch of seasoning on both sides; you’ve really got to coat those suckers!

I made this recipe up after deciding to not make a dill sauce pasta the other day. Cajun seasoning and red bell pepper go in the alfredo sauce to kick it up a notch—and I added a zucchini and red onion just for some more oomph.

Try this flavorful pasta dish with either the catfish fillet on top—or you can cut up the fillet into pieces and then toss it with the pasta. I went with it both ways, and they’re both insanely tasty!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Heat 1 TBS. olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. In a shallow baking dish, lay out fish fillets. Heavily coat both sides with blackened seasoning.

Pan-fry fillets, one at a time, in hot oil until slightly charred—about 4-5 minutes per side—adding more oil if needed. Place blackened catfish on a plate and set aside.

Once done, heat 2 more tablespoons oil in pan. Toss pepper, onion and zucchini with Cajun seasoning in a small bowl.

Saute veggies until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Return to bowl and set aside.

Make the alfredo sauce: melt butter in same skillet over medium high heat. Add flour and stir until well combined. Slowly pour in milk, stirring the entire time. Heat over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until thickened; about 4-5 minutes. Stir in parmesan and veggies.

Pour alfredo sauce in pot with fettuccine…

And toss until pasta is well coated.

Top pasta with blackened catfish fillets, or cut into pieces and mix in with pasta.