Florida Pinks & Macaroni Bake
photo by Douglas Poe
- Ready In:
- 1hr 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 19
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 3 cups dried macaroni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 cup fennel, chopped
- 1 1⁄2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1⁄2 cup green onion, sliced
- 1⁄2 lb cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 cups bechamel sauce
- 2⁄3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 large tomatoes, sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil
- salt and pepper
-
Bechamel Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
directions
- Add salt to a saucepan of water and bring to a boil.
- Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook until tender, but still firm to the bite.
- Drain and return to the pan.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pasta. Cover and shake the pan, keep warm.
- Melt the remaining butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat.
- Sauté the fennel for 3-4 minutes or until tender.
- Stir in the mushrooms and sauté for another 2 minutes, add in the shrimp, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the cayenne pepper and Béchamel sauce to the shrimp mixture.
- Pour macaroni into a greased baking dish and pour shrimp mixture over pasta and stir together.
- Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese over the mixture and arrange the tomato slices around the edge.
- Brush the tomatoes with remaining olive oil and sprinkle basil over the top.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
-
Béchamel sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted.
- Add the flour and stir until smooth.
- Cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil.
- Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth.
- Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat.
- Season with salt and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.
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Reviews
-
I made this exactly as is, other than, lacking fennel, I used celery. I wasn't sure when to add the green onions, in the end I added them with the shrimp. What an attractive and delicious dish, we felt that this was luxurious comfort food and I'm thrilled to say that I have the leftovers for lunch! I used local shrimp, delicious ..... Thank you, Douglas, this dish was made and enjoyed for Think Pink, 2013