This is one of those recipes that you can’t believe actually works until you try it. The ratio of cheese to pasta (2:1) had me very wary. No pre-boiling of the pasta? No roux? Surely these were typos. Having been assured by my friend Leigh that it was the best mac and cheese she’d ever eaten, I had to give it a try. Absolute genius! And incredibly easy to boot. I added the lobster to make an already decadent dish extra special. After years of trying different recipes, I’ve found the ultimate and am a convert for life.

 

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Adapted from The New York Times

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup cottage cheese (not low fat)

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Pinch cayenne

Freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound sharp cheddar, grated

1/2 pound dry macaroni

2 (8oz) raw lobster tails, meat removed from shell and chopped

3 tablespoons of chopped chives

 

Method: 

1. Heat oven to 375°F and butter a 9″ square baking dish.

2. In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper until very smooth.

3. Reserve 1/2 cup of grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining cheese with milk mixture and dry pasta.

4. Pour into buttered baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes in the upper third of the oven.

5. Remove foil, mix in the lobster so that it’s below the surface of the dish and sprinkle reserved cheese. Bake uncovered for a further 30 minutes until browned.

6. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with chives and serve.