16 oz. cavatappi pasta 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup all-purpose flour 4 cups half and half 12 oz. (about 3 cups) shredded gruyere cheese – use a box grater to shred 12 oz. (about 3 cups) shredded white cheddar cheese 2 pounds medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off, patted dry ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Fresh chopped parsley, optional garnish Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Measure out the half and half, and set aside. Lightly spray a deep 9x13-inch baking dish, and set aside.
Cook pasta per package directions, to slightly less than al dente. Drain very well; set aside.
In a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium- low heat, add 4 tablespoons of the butter and melt. Add garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to the butter.
Stirring constantly, “toast” the spices in the butter for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add flour to the pan and whisk to combine.
Cook for 2 minutes, stirring fairly constantly.
Slowly stream in half and half, whisking constantly, until lump-free. Turn up heat just a bit, between medium and medium-high. Bring mixture to a simmer and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together gruyere cheese and white cheddar cheese. Remove Dutch oven from heat and add half of the mixed cheese. Fold until cheese is melted.
Add shrimp and cooked pasta to the Dutch oven, and fold to combine with the sauce.
Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.
In a small bowl, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan, and stir to incorporate evenly.
Add remaining cheese to the top of the dish.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly and the top is golden brown. If desired, place dish under broiler for a couple minutes to toast the breadcrumbs even more. Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle parsley over the top, right before serving, if desired.
My Notes:
• I didn’t have cavatappi pasta, so I used rigatoni instead.
• I couldn’t find gruyere, so I substituted Swiss and mozzarella for it.
• I added a tablespoon of Old Bay to the other spices.I used two and a half pounds of medium/ large shrimp, about 37.
• It just so happened that my panko was roasted- garlic-flavored, so that added some additional flavor as well.
