Barilla® Thai Red Curry Shrimp Mac & Cheese

Recipe courtesy Chef Carron Harris

Red Curry Cheese Sauce:
4 oz unsalted butter
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp minced lemongrass
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp minced shallot
½ c all-purpose flour
3 c lobster stock
6 oz Thai red curry paste
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 c half & half
8 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded
Shrimp:
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 lb 21/25 count peeled, deveined, tail-off shrimp
¼ c minced garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Pasta and Garnish:
2 lb Barilla Frozen® Elbow Macaroni
½ c sliced green onions
½ c peanuts, roasted and chopped
Instructions

Blanching method:

  1. Thaw/Slack pasta on sheet trays in a single layer for at least 1 hour
  2. Add pasta to boiling salted water and blanch for 45 seconds
  3. Drain pasta and combine with sauce

NOTE:

If cooking for immediate service add 30 seconds additional cook time

Sauce method (64oz sauce 64oz pasta):

  1. Thaw/Slack pasta on sheet trays in a single layer for at least 1 hour
  2. Bring your sauce to a simmer and add 1 cup of water for every 32oz of sauce
  3. Add the slacked pasta and cook for 2 minutes and 30 seconds in the simmering sauce

Impinger oven (set to 500°F):

7″ round aluminum tin

  1. Thaw/Slack pasta on sheet trays in a single layer for at least 1 hour
  2. Combine 4 oz pasta with 8 oz sauce
  3. Add the contents to a 7″ round aluminum tin

4. Cook covered for 9 min (1.5x through the oven)

9″ round aluminum tin

  1. Thaw/Slack pasta on sheet trays in a single layer for at least 1 hour
  2. Combine 6 oz pasta with 12 oz sauce
  3. Add the contents to a 7″ round aluminum tin
  4. Cook covered for 9 min (1.5x through the oven)

Steamer Method:

Full hotel pan (2 inch deep )

  1. Thaw/Slack pasta on sheet trays in a single layer for at least 1 hour
  2. Combine 40 oz of pasta and 80 of sauce in full hotel pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil
  3. Steam for 17 minutes on full steam

Half pan (2 inch deep)

  1. Thaw/Slack pasta on sheet trays in a single layer for at least 1 hour
  2. Combine 20 oz of pasta and 40 of sauce in a half hotel pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil
  3. Steam for 17 minutes on full steam

Microwave Method:

  1. Thaw/Slack the pasta on sheet trays in a single later for at least 1 hour
  2. Add 7 oz of pasta and 7 oz of sauce a long with 1/4 cup of water and mix.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 2 minutes
  4. Remove from microwave and carefully uncover, stir then cover again.
  5. Microwave on high for an additional 1 minute.
  6. Remove from microwave and transfer to serving dish or delivery packaging

Red Curry Cheese Sauce:

  1. Melt the butter in an 8-qt pot. Add the ginger, lemongrass, garlic and shallots and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add the flour to make a roux and cook for another 3 minutes.
  3. Slowly add the lobster stock to the roux, stirring to ensure lumps are removed.
  4. Add the Thai red curry paste and fish sauce. Whisk until incorporated.
  5. Add in the half & half and bring to a simmer.
  6. Stir in the cheese and whisk until melted. Remove from heat.

Shrimp:

  1. In a sauté pan, heat the oil and sauté the shrimp and garlic until cooked through. Season with the salt and pepper.

Pasta and Garnish:

  1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 1 minute, then drain. Toss pasta with the Red Curry Cheese Sauce and half of the cooked shrimp.
  2. To plate, put pasta on a plate or bowl, top with some of the remaining shrimp, and garnish with green onions and peanuts.

Chef Notes: 

I am always trying to find interesting ways to play up mac & cheese. The ginger, garlic and lemongrass bring subtle yet flavorful accents to amp up the Thai red curry. For this mac & cheese, the Cheddar is in the background. Along with the half & half, it gives the whole sauce that cheesy and creamy texture.  Although it is typically not Italian to put cheese with seafood, I love the shrimp with the Thai curry. After all, this is truly a marriage of Thai and Italian mashed into one All-American dish!