Crawfish Mac and Cheese
"Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2007."
- Ready In:
- 1hr 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 18
- Serves:
-
8
ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1⁄3 cup diced pancetta
- 1⁄2 cup small diced onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk or 3 cups half-and-half
- 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 lb cooked and peeled crawfish tail, with any fat
- 1 lb orecchiette or 1 small shell pasta, cooked al dente, drained
- 4 ounces grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- 4 ounces grated white cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces grated gruyere
- 4 ounces grated fontina
- 1⁄4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1⁄2 teaspoon Emeril's Original Essence (or Cajun seasoning)
directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Set a large, wide-mouthed 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta to the pot and cook the pancetta until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the butter and flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the milk or half-and-half and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Season with the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg and cook for 3 minutes. Add the crawfish to the pot and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and fold in the cooked pasta and grated cheeses. Stir to combine well.
- Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish such as a 9 by 13-inch casserole. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the Essence and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Bake uncovered until golden brown and bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
gailanng
United States
I'm just me, mother, grandmother...friend to many and a Louisianian. My Cajun and French Quarter Italian descent afforded me exposure to some of the best of foods. My passions are my family, decorating, cooking and gardening. Those very passions push me into constant awareness with always looking for something new to delight the senses, thus my favorite idiom...Inspire me, puuuullllllleeeeeeease! ...and I mean it, too. God Bless America!
