From the Sasquatch Stove

Planning a special evening with your honey? Inspire amore with this romantic recipe for Dungeness Crab Mac & Cheese from the Best Places to Kiss Cookbook and let us know what you think!

Dungeness Crab Mac and Cheese with Hazelnut Crust

4 servings

This takes comfort food to a new level! The flavor is awesome and
the presentation is beautiful, especially if you opt to bake it in real crab
shells (see the variation below). Either way, this is a delicious and fun way to enjoy Dungeness crabmeat.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 pound Dungeness crabmeat (from a 2-pound crab)
Dash of Tabasco
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup hazelnuts, roasted and finely chopped
Lemon wedges (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Cook the pasta in boiling water, following
package directions, until it is not quite al dente. Drain and let cool.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over high heat. As
soon as the cream boils, add the cooked pasta. Bring back to a boil
and stir in the cheeses and mustard. Bring the mixture back to a
boil and add the crabmeat, Tabasco, and salt. Remove from heat and
season to taste with pepper.

3. Put the crab-pasta mixture in a greased casserole dish and sprinkle
with the hazelnuts. Bake until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

Variation For an attractive presentation, bake the crab macaroni and cheese in clean crab shells. Ask your neighborhood fishmonger to save four crab shells for you to clean and bake in. Preheat the oven to 400¯F. Place the shells on a baking sheet, carefully fill with the
crab-pasta mixture, and sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Bake until hot
and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.