Venetian Mac 'n' Cheese with Radicchio and Shrimp

Oh my gosh, this was sooo yummy, the picture really does not do it justice. The cheese sauce on this was just delicious, there is a pinch of nutmeg in it and the flavors worked very well with the shrimp.


I got the recipe from Everyday with Rachel Ray. The next time I make it, I will make a few changes though. The shells are cool and all, but kind of a pain to eat, in my opinion. Also, I wasn't a huge fan of the radicchio in this dish. I cooked it even longer than the recipe did to let it wilt more, but it was still kind of tough. Also, the flavor was a bit too bitter for my liking.

So next time, I think I'll use a smaller pasta and maybe use spinach instead of radicchio.


Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound medium shell pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• Pepper
• Pinch Nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional) - I did not use this
  

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute,then whisk in the half-and-half and chicken broth. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and the nutmeg and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 6-7 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the garlic and anchovy paste, if using, and cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and radicchio, increase the heat and cook, stirring, until the shrimp is pink and the radicchio is tender, 3-4 minutes.

Pre-heat the broiler. Stir the Parmigiano Reggiano into the white sauce. Add the pasta, shrimp and radicchio and toss. Pour into a buttered casserole and sprinkle the asiago on top. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes; serve hot.