Ingredients
- 18 pieces extra-large shell pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup tasso ham or bacon
- 5 large shallots, minced
- 1 clove garlic, mined
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups cream
- 1 cup grated fontina
- 1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 18 medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 cups gently packed spinach
- Kosher salt and ground white pepper
- Hot pepper sauce, to taste (recommended: Tabasco)
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves
Directions
Preheat broiler.
Bring a large post of water to a rolling boil, add pasta shells and cook al dente, according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add the olive oil and tasso or bacon, cook until just crisp,
then add shallots and garlic. Cook and stir over moderate heat just until shallots are translucent. Add the flour, cook stirring constantly to blend and toast the flour, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine, reduce until almost dry. Add the cream, bring to a simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses, shrimp and spinach. Gently stir until cheese is melted, spinach is wilted and shrimp is beginning to turn pink. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Season with hot sauce, to taste.
Drain the pasta, making sure to shake all of the water off and out of the shells.
In a large ovenproof baking dish, place drained shells. Add the cheese and shrimp mixture and gently fold into the pasta. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and chopped parsley. Place under the broiler until the breadcrumbs are toasted about 2 to 3 minutes.
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By blessediva4god_...
Columbia, 60
on August 10, 2009
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ok i will make this quick i just found out i have problemswith my colon and i have to change the way i eat i love shrimp but i really don't like vegatables so i came across this receipe at work (sorry for any misspellings lol i didn't have a lot of money so i used shrimp had bacon at home and i didn't have enough for shells so i used rice instead, frozen spiinch and alfredo sauce i already had at home i added 2% cheddar and parmeson chese and it is awesome i used the sauce over the rice and no breadcrumbs and it is awesome awesome the budget way
By Cassie08
Indianapolis, IN
on April 27, 2009
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It was expensive to make, and I didnt really like the white wine flavor in the sauce. Also, the spinach clumped together. Just didnt taste like mac and cheese to me. More of a salty shrimp and bacon casserole.
By susan_guetzlaff...
Chicago Heights, IL
on February 14, 2009
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This turned out really well. However, there were a few things not exactly explained on the recipe - and for novice chefs like myself, it helps to have all the details. Here is what I diid: I bought the Barilla Medium Shells and used about 2.5 cups. For the bacon, I used about 3-4 pieces and cut them up into little pieces before I cooked it. If you can, I highly recommend using the Fontina cheese, I think this really adds to the creamy flavor. I used 1 cup of sharp cheddar as opposed to 1/2 cup. I used 1/2 cup wine, I don't see the need for a whole cup and frankly I'd rather drink that myself with dinner! I bought a bag of the baby spinach and that worked really well. Lastly, I opted out for the breadcrumbs. Unless you have the time to make these, you definitely do NOT want to use store bought breadcrumbs - they don't work well as a topping, they are more for binding. So without the breadcrumbs, I thought it tasted just fine. I also forgot to add the Parmesan, and trust me, this is so cheesy as it is, it probably doesn't need it! Great recipe that made me feel like a really good chef!
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