Sunny's Easy Lobster Tail Mac and Cheese
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 864
- Total Fat
- 56
- Saturated Fat
- 33
- Carbohydrates
- 48
- Dietary Fiber
- 2
- Sugar
- 4
- Protein
- 42
- Cholesterol
- 255
- Sodium
- 878
- Total: 1 hr 20 min
- Active: 45 min
Ingredients
Lobster and Pasta:
Four 4-ounce lobster tails, defrosted if using frozen
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning, I like Old Bay here
Ice
1 pound elbow pasta
Sauce:
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup onion pulp, created by grating fresh onion on a rasp
2 cloves garlic, grated on a rasp
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, like Old Bay
2 cups heavy cream, at room temperature
Freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces finely shredded Gruyère
6 ounces finely shredded Cheddar-Monterey jack blend
Reserved pasta water, to loosen
To Finish:
1 tablespoon salted butter, for greasing
6 ounces finely shredded Gruyère
6 ounces finely shredded Cheddar-Monterey jack blend
Directions
- Poach and boil. In a medium pot, add the lobster tails and add enough cold water to cover the tails by a few inches. Add a pinch of salt and the seafood seasoning. Turn the heat to medium, cover the pot and slow poach the lobster tails until the shells turn a bright red color, 10 to 12 minutes — don’t let the water simmer. Remove the tails from the pot and place in a bowl of ice water immediately. Leave the pot on the stove. Once the tails are cooled, remove the flesh, chop and set aside. Place the lobster shells in the pot of poaching water. Add more water to fully cover if needed. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook the pasta until al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving the poaching water. Discard the shells.
- Make the sauce. In a large pot or Dutch oven on medium heat, add the butter, flour, onions and garlic. Move it around with a wooden spoon for a few minutes, but do not allow it to brown. Add the dry mustard and seafood seasoning. Slowly stir in the heavy cream while whisking, then season with pepper. Bring to a simmer. Add the Gruyère and Cheddar-jack cheeses and whisk until they melt; the sauce will be thick. While whisking, slowly add in some of the reserved lobster-pasta water to loosen to a creamy texture.
- Combine and bake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Thinly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Stir the chopped lobster and pasta into the cheese sauce. Pour into the prepared dish and sprinkle the top evenly with the Gruyère and Cheddar-jack cheeses. Bake until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve.