Ingredients
- 1 lb dried elbow pasta
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup half and half or whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups lump crab meat
- 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a large 9×13 casserole dish
- Cook elbows in salted water until just cooked and slightly al dente, drain, rinse and set to the side
- In a large pot heat butter over medium heat, once the butter has melted reduce the heat to medium low, slowly whisk in the flour, this will make a paste, then slowly pour in the half and half and whisk constantly until all of the milk is mixed in
- Mix in the ricotta, smoked paprika and black pepper until fully combined then pour in 3 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese, turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the stove and mix constantly until all of the cheddar is melted
- Add the cooked noodles and lump crab meat to the pot with the cheese sauce and mix immediately – make sure each noodle is coated in the cheese sauce
- Pour the mixture into the casserole dish and top with the remaining cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- Bake uncovered at 350F for 20 minutes then increase the heat to broil for just a few minutes to brown the cheese on top – keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn!
- Allow to cool slightly and then serve
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.