Nanci’s Lobster Mac & Cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

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.

To Prepare the Cheese & Besciamella Sauce:

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, pepper, bay leaf, onions, salt and nutmeg until the milk is steaming. Remove the bay leaf.

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.

Add both the cheeses to the sauce, and mix well until the cheeses are melted into the sauce.

To Finish:

Mix the pasta, the truffle oil (if desired) and the lobster meat with three-quarters of the Cheese & Besciamella Sauce. 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.

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