Shamille Wharton relies on pretty things to set a welcoming table at her Nashville, Tennessee, home. “Even if you can’t boil water, invest in beautiful serving dishes and utensils—that way anything you serve your guests will look beautiful. Half of the dining experience is what your guests see.” Her grandmother was her greatest inspiration for entertaining. She went out of her way to prepare each person’s favorite dish, her “silent way to tell us that we were loved and thought of,” says Wharton. Similarly, your guests will feel loved and thought of with this decadent and delicious version of macaroni and cheese.

CRAB CAKE MAC AND CHEESE

1 (16-ounce) package cavatappi or other spiral pasta

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 quart heavy cream

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

1 cup shredded Fontina cheese

Dash of freshly grated nutmeg

1 pound lump crabmeat

1 large shallot, diced

Finely grated peel of 1 small lemon

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

1 tablespoon white truffle oil

1 cup panko or dry bread crumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 × 12-inch baking dish or 6 to 8 individual baking dishes. Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Gradually add the cream, whisking to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the Swiss, Gruyère, and Fontina cheeses and the nutmeg. Cook until the cheeses melt.

In a large bowl combine the crabmeat, shallot, lemon peel, hot sauce, and mustard, and mix well.

In a medium bowl combine the truffle oil, panko, Parmesan, and parsley, and mix well.

Add the pasta to the crab mixture. Pour in the cheese sauce, add salt and pepper, and stir gently a few times to loosely combine. The mixture will be soupy. Pour the mixture into the baking dish or into individual serving dishes. Spread the panko mixture over the top. Gently pat down.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the panko topping is slightly browned and the pasta mixture is bubbling at the sides. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

97814016054_0011_005.jpg Makes 10 to 12 servings