This Alaskan Crab recipe is both delicious and kid-friendly! The creamy cheeses perfectly complement the sweet Dungeness Crab. For an extra kick, add a dash of red pepper flakes!
Ingredients
- 1lb. Italian fusilli or rotini pasta, cooked al dente, drained, and kept warm
- 1lb. Dungeness crabmeat (2lbs. Dungeness Crab clusters)
- 2 cups bite-sized pieces of fresh asparagus
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2cup flour
- 1 tsp. salt or garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
- 1 quart non-fat or 1% milk, warmed
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Directions
- In a large pot over medium low heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, and warm milk. Cook and whisk until sauce has thickened and is smooth.
- Turn heat to lowest setting and stir in the cheeses. Turn off heat and continue stirring until sauce is smooth.
- Gently blend in the pasta, crabmeat, and asparagus.
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Turn mixture into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
- Blend together breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, and thyme. Sprinkle evenly over pasta.
- Bake 20 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and topping is browned. Serve hot.
