The Ultimate Lobster Mac & Cheese

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Because this has been such a weird year I decided to get a little fancy for one of the two holiday dinners that I was serving. I try very hard to accommodate everyone’s schedule, so we celebrated “Festivus” on the 23rd. There were just three of us, but we had a lovely time, and the food was delicious. I had baked a ham, made Cheese Peta, and a casserole of Lobster Mac & Cheese. Trust me when I tell you that this is the most money and time that I have ever spent on a casserole, but it was well worth it. It took a good bit of honing to get everything just right, so please do not skimp on ingredients or alter any of them, and please use the cavatappi. My daughter-in-law (whose grandmother is Sicilian) and I agree that it is an underutilized pasta, and we aim to change that. If you’re looking to celebrate a special event, or just treat you and your sweetie, give this a try. It can be baked up in a casserole or spooned into individual ramekins. It also freezes beautifully; when you want to bake it up, put it into the oven cold and bake for 45-55 minutes until hot and bubbly. Delish!

  The Ultimate Lobster Mac & Cheese

8 c. water
2 8-oz. lobster tails in the shell
8 oz. cavatappi
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
2 c. whole milk
1 ½ c. heavy whipping cream
1 T. lobster base

6 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

6 oz. white cheddar, grated
1 - 2 t. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Few gratings whole nutmeg
3-4 T. dry sherry

 

Topping:
1 c. Panko breadcrumbs
2 strips bacon fried and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine topping ingredients in a medium mixing bowl; set aside.

Bring water to a boil in a medium stockpot, add lobster, and boil 5-6 minutes until the shell is pink and the meat is cooked through. Remove lobster with tongs; reserve water. Return lobster water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes; drain.

Combine milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Heat until simmering, but not boiling. Whisk in lobster base.

In the same pot that you used to cook the lobster and pasta, melt butter and then whisk in flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk as you add the hot milk/cream mixture and cook for a minute or two more until thickened.

Remove from heat and add the cheeses, 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, a few gratings of nutmeg, if desired, and sherry. Add cooked cavatappi and lobster meat, and stir well. Place the mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish and scatter topping to cover. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the topping is browned.