Nanci’s Lobster Mac & Cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cook the pasta al dente, drain well, set aside, and mix with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil so that it does not stick together.
  3. To Prepare the Cheese & Besciamella Sauce:
  4. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, pepper, bay leaf, onions, salt and nutmeg until the milk is steaming. Remove the bay leaf.
  5. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Sprinkle in the flour, and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes until it is a golden brown. This thin paste is called a roux. Slowly pour the steaming milk into the roux, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue stirring over medium heat for 3 to 6 minutes. When the mixture thickens, take it off the heat.
  6. Add both the cheeses to the sauce, and mix well until the cheeses are melted into the sauce.


To Finish:

  1. Mix the pasta, the truffle oil (if desired) and the lobster meat with three-quarters of the Cheese & Besciamella Sauce.
  2. Pour the pasta into a greased baking dish in two layers, topping each layer with a portion of the remaining sauce. Top it all with breadcrumbs.
  3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for about 25 minutes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound pasta—elbow, cavatappi or penne
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons truffle oil (optional)
  • 1 pound cooked lobster, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • For the Cheese & Besciamella Sauce:
  • Yields about 2 cups
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 white onion, chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 pound mild Cheddar cheese, cut in small dice
  • 1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, cut in small dice