Serves: 6 to 8
Serving size: 1 cup
Calories per serving: 375
When I was Steve Harvey’s personal chef, this was one of his favorite dishes. Now that you are in Phase 2, you get to enjoy a little pasta and cheese!
If you don’t care for lobster or if you find it a bit costly, you can certainly substitute shrimp, crab meat, scallops, or, of course, chicken.
½ pound whole wheat penne
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons Bayou Cajun Spice Blend (here)
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2½ cups 1% milk
1 cup herbed goat cheese, at room temperature
1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1½ pounds lobster meat (a combination of claw, knuckle, and tail meat)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta.
Add the penne to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, Bayou Cajun Spice Blend, and flour and whisk to make a roux, about 2 minutes. Adding the garlic and spice blend to the roux is my secret way to pull out the flavor.
Add the bell pepper and lemon zest and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and whisk until the ingredients are combined. Add the goat cheese and whisk well. Allow ingredients to melt together—about 5 minutes. Add 1¼ cups of the cheddar and the Parmigiano Reggiano and whisk to combine. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add the lobster meat and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Stir together the cooked pasta, cheese sauce, lobster meat, and parsley. Pour your mac and cheese into a ceramic/nonstick casserole dish or any oven-safe casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheddar evenly over the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling.