Recipe & photography by Ed Barrow.
Ingredients
- 30g of salted butter
- 30g of plain flour
- 250ml of whole milk
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 tsp of Dijon mustard
- Small pinch of cayenne
- 150g of Northern Pasta Co Conchigliette
- 100g of white and brown crab meat
- 60g of grated mozzarella or cheddar
- Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Method
Start by placing a large pan of well salted water on to boil for the pasta.
Meanwhile, make the béchamel by melting the butter over a medium low heat in a saucepan. Once melted add the flour sand whisk together to form a roux. Cook out the flour for a couple of minutes before adding in the milk in small splashes. Whisking after each time of adding milk to ensure no lumps form. Once all the milk is added add the lemon juice, Dijon and cayenne. Season well with salt and pepper and leave to gently come to a simmer and thicken.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 7 minutes or until al-dente.
Once the béchamel comes to a simmer and thickens up to a nice thick yet still pourable consistency turn off the heat and leave to one side.
Preheat the grill to high.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and add back into the pan. Pour in the béchamel followed by the crab meat. Mix together until well combined then pour into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle over the cheese and grate over some fresh lemon zest. Place under the grill for 4-5 minuets until bubbling and golden on top. Finish with the fresh parsley and serve immediately.
