crab cake mac n’ cheese

kicked up mac n’ cheese is just about as good as the plain ol’ mac n’ cheese.  this particular dish is not as cheesy as i would have liked for it to be, but it is probably for the best.  this does taste just like a crab cake and too much cheese would probably kill all of those delicious flavors.  i also understand why crab cakes are so expensive!  1/2 lb. of fresh crab meat put me back $10.99.  also, be prepared to use a lot of pans for this dish. with all that said, it’s still worth it to make this dish.

adapted slightly from rachaelray.com

• 1/2 lb. cavatappi pasta
• 2 tbsp evoo
• 6 tbsp butter, divided
• 2 ribs celery, with leafy tops, finely chopped
• 3/4 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 tsp minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried, ground thyme
• 1 tbsp grated lemon zest
• 1/2 lb. fresh lump crab meat
• 2 1/2 tsp old bay seasoning

• 3 tbsp frank’s red hot sauce
• 1 c panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 c grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 c milk
• nutmeg, to taste
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 c grated white cheddar (or monterey jack) cheese
• 1 c grated gruyère cheese

1. preheat the oven to 375°.
2. bring a large pot of water to boil, salt the water.  add pasta and cook a minute short of the box directions.  drain and add it to a large bowl.
3. in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp evoo and 1 tbsp butter, melting the butter.  then add celery, onion, red pepper, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, lemon zest, salt and pepper (to taste).  cook until tender, 6-8 minutes.  add the crabmeat and old bay seasoning to the vegetables.  stir to combine, then remove from heat. (see pic above).
4. melt 2 tbsp of butter in a small non-stick pan over low heat and add 3 tbsp frank’s hot sauce.  warm and then add the panko and toss to evenly coat the crumbs.  cool the crumbs and then toss with parsley and parmigiano reggiano cheese.
5. in a medium non-stick pan over medium heat, melt 3 tbsp butter and whisk in the flour.  cook for 1 min., then whisk in the milk and bring to a bubble (you may need to turn the heat up a bit for this).  season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg, to taste.  cook for a few more minutes, until the mixture starts to thicken.  add mustard and cheese and whisk until combined.
6. fold vegetable mixture and cheese sauce in with the pasta.  pour into a greased 9″ baking dish.  top with the crumb mixture.  bake until browned and heated through, or about 10 min.

enjoy!