Lobster Mac and Cheese

Add lobster and some deliciously creamy cheese to your mac and cheese -- and now you've got a downright upscale romantic meal!

I. INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 pound cavatappi or elbow macaroni
• 1 quart whole milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups grated Gruyere cheese (12 ounces)
• 2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar (8 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 pounds cooked lobster meat, 1/2-inch-diced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

II. DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until al-dente. You want it to have a bit of bite because it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain well.
• While the pasta boils add 3 tablespoons butter to a medium skillet and melt. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds then add in the lobster meat and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add the parsley and cook another 30 seconds. Remove the lobster from the pan.
• Add another 2 tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Throw in the crushed Ritz crackers and toss to coat. Toast the crumbs for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Once the crumbs are lightly toasted, remove from the heat and set aside.
• In the same pot you boiled the pasta, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let cook and bubble for 1 minute, stirring once or twice to avoid burning. Gradually whisk in the milk and raise the heat up to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently until the sauce has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in all of the cheese, mustard powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is fully melted. Stir in the pasta and about 3/4 of the lobster meat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
• Evenly sprinkle on the remaining lobster chunks and then the toasted cracker crumbs. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the crumbs are golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
• Remove from the oven and let sit five minutes. Dig in!!