Pesto Shrimp Mac & Cheese

I don't remember Benjamin Buford Blue, aka Bubba, saying anything about Pesto Shrimp Mac & Cheese, do you?

Here's a video of another one of my favorite movies, Forrest Gump.  My family's dog is even named Forrest.  (I have no rights to this video, just borrowing!)

I even have a Bubba Gump Shrimp cookbook (thanks My Sandy!) that's all shrimp recipes, although this one is from the Better Homes & Gardens book.  

For Le Creuset's very first meal I made Pesto Shrimp Mac & Cheese!

Pesto Shrimp Mac & Cheese

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

1 pound frozen shrimp (We buy the already cleaned shrimp with tails removed, the ones we used were teeny tiny!)

8 oz elbow macaroni

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup milk (Instead of half-and-half)

5 oz shredded fontina cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped 

To start, preheat the oven to 350.  

Cook and drain the macaroni.  

Rinse the shrimp and pat them dry with a paper towel.  (This is where you'd have to peel, clean, de-vein and remove the tails from the shrimp, then chop them.  I was able to skip all of those steps with the shrimp I bought!)

In a large bowl stir together eggs, butter, and milk, like so:

Add chopped basil, 1 cup of fontina cheese, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, garlic, and salt and pepper. 

Add the sauce to the macaroni.

Add the shrimp.

Stir it all together and transfer to your fancy new Le Creuset!

Isn't it beautiful?  The French oven, not the raw shrimp, ew.

Finally, add the remaining cheeses.  Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes or until shrimp are cooked. 

Here's the finished product!  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Le Creuset is not joking around when they tell you these things hold heat for a long time.  We had our friends over for dinner, had even eaten seconds and dessert, and the Le Creuset was still hot! Not warm, hot.  It's amazing.

The Pesto Shrimp Mac & Cheese was very good!  The fresh basil from my plant was so fragrant and yummy.  I skipped the optional pine nuts this time, but will certainly add them if I ever make this again.  The little shrimp got even smaller once they were cooked so I'd also recommend using at least medium size.  

Bubba's Momma, and her Momma before her would be proud of this dish!