STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: “Lobster Mac & Cheese Recipe”

Written by: Lisa Tower and Renee Paul, Culinary Arts students at KU Sarasota

As promised, here is the scrumptious Lobster Mac and Cheese recipe you’ve been waiting for!

Ingredients:

8 oz. Trotolle Pasta **                                                                                                

1 Shallot, minced

6 Tbsp. butter + more to butter pan

1 Garlic Clove, minced

2 Lobster tails, meat removed, cut into chunks

1 tsp. lemon juice

¼ Cup A/P flour

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 Cup Lobster Stock

½ Cup Half & Half

1 Cup Fontina, grated

1 Cup Sharp Cheddar, grated ***

1 Cup Parmesan, grated and divided

4 oz. Cream Cheese ***

8 oz. fresh baby Spinach, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter baking dish generously.  In a large pot, boil salted water.  Cook pasta until before the ‘al dente’ stage.  Drain and set aside.

Melt about 2 Tbsp. butter in large pan over medium heat.  While butter is melting, remove lobster meat from tails and cut into chunks.  When butter is melted, put lobster meat into pan and sauté for about 1-2 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add remaining butter to skillet (4 Tbsp) and melt.  Add shallot and garlic, coat with butter, sauté about 2 minutes, just until fragrant.  Then add flour and whisk to combine.  Once flour and butter are incorporated into a roux, add lobster stock, whisking constantly.   Let cook for about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.  Add Half and Half, season with salt and pepper, then whisk.

Next, add the Fontina, Cheddar, Cream Cheese, half the Parmesan and the spinach.  Stir to melt the cheeses.  Add lemon juice, pasta and lobster.  Stir mixture just until incorporated.

Finally, transfer mixture into the buttered baking dish and top with remaining Parmesan cheese.  Bake until cheeses are warm and bubbly and the Parmesan topping is golden brown – approximately 20 minutes.

** You may substitute any other extruded pasta of your choice such as Ditalini, Cavatappi, etc., anything that will hold the sauce

*** You may substitute your cheeses of choice such as Goat cheese instead of Cream Cheese, Muenster instead of Cheddar, etc.  Just find your balance of creamy, sharp and salty.

STUDENTS: Please email your submissions/questions/comments to the ELSE Student Editor, Kayla Bianchi at: [email protected]