Langostino Macaroni and Cheese
Do not sleep on this langostino macaroni and cheese recipe. Loaded with sweet, tender langostinos, this recipe is perfect for the holidays or any day of the week. Topped with buttery breadcrumbs and baked to cheesy perfection, you’re going to want to give this langostino lobster recipe a try.
What is Langostino Lobster
Langostino is a Spanish word for “little lobster”. However, langostinos are not crustaceans like lobsters. Instead, they resemble prawns or shrimp in appearance. That said, they taste like lobster or crab meat. They have a very delicate, sweet flavor which tastes amazing in this recipe. They are about one inch long but can be slightly larger.
Ingredients in This Langostino Recipe
For this recipe, I used very simple ingredients. This way you can really taste the delicious, delicate langostino. What’s great, is that langostino tastes like lobster but is roughly half the price. However, you can easily swap lobster meat in this recipe. Just be sure it’s fully cooked and roughly chopped before you add it to the cheese cause.
Langostino – For this recipe I used cooked and peel langostino. The cooked langostino is easier to work with but you can also cook and peel them if needed.
Pasta – Boil a pot of water and cook the pasta al dente. Be sure to reserve some pasta water incase your cheese sauce gets too tight. I used Delallo Food’s Tortiglioni, and it was great.
Olive oil – Lightly drizzle over the cooked pasta to prevent sticking.
Cheese Sauce and Breadcrumbs
Butter – You’ll need 5 tablespoons of butter for this recipe. Four tablespoon will go in the sauce and the remaining tablespoon will be used to brown the breadcrumbs.
Milk – Be sure to use 2% milk in this recipe. It helps keep the sauce light and creamy.
Seafood stock – The seafood stock in this recipe really enhanced the entire dish. However, you can use chicken stock if that’s what you have handy.
Velveeta cheese – Yes, you read that right. I know some people think Velveeta cheese isn’t very good because it’s processed. However, it’s perfect in this cheese sauce. It’s smooth creamy and melts perfectly every single time.
Shredded mozzarella cheese – The shredded mozzarella cheese adds some extra flavor and texture to this sauce. Do not skip it.
Pasta water – Be sure to reserve some pasta water for this dish. If your cheese sauce gets too tight, simply add some pasta water to thin it out.
Panko breadcrumbs – I love using panko breadcrumbs in this recipe. They have the perfect texture. Plus, once they are browned in some butter and seasoned, they really bring this dish to life.
Seasoning – Add some cracked black pepper and a touch of paprika to the breadcrumbs. This enhances the flavor of the dish.
Chives – Be sure to finish the dish with fresh chopped chives. The slight bite from the chives works perfectly with this recipe.
Storage
Store any leftover macaroni and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. When reheating, add a splash of water or seafood stock to a pan/pot and heat the macaroni over the stove top. This will help prevent the langostino from getting rubbery and overcooked. However, you can also reheat this dish in the microwave. Just be sure to add some liquid to it to help reconstitute the sauce.
Looking for more Macaroni and Cheese recipes?
- Stovetop Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
- Taco Macaroni and Cheese
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes
Langostino Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb. langostino , cooked and peeled. You can also use lobster meat
- 8-10 ounces pasta, al dente, tortiglioni pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, drizzle over cooked and drained pasta
- ¼ cup salted butter, 4 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons AP flour, all purpose
- 1 cup 2% milk
- ½ cup seafood stock
- 6 ounces Velveeta cheese, cube two of the mini blocks
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup pasta water, to thin cheese sauce if needed
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- Pinch paprika, optional
- 2 tablespoons chives, fresh chopped
Equipment
- pasta pot
- colander
- 3.5 quart saucepan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray an 8×8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Boil a pot of water and cook your pasta according to the package. Al dente is best as it will continue to cook in the oven.
- Be sure to reserve some pasta water to use if your cheese sauce gets too tight.
- Drain off remaining water and lightly drizzle the pasta with olive oil to prevent sticking. Set the pasta aside.
- In a saucepan, over medium heat, add 4 tablespoons butter and flour to form a roux.
- Once the flour begins to bubble, slowly add the milk to form a bechamel sauce.
- Next, you’ll slowly add the seafood stock. Whisk until well combined.
- Then, add the cubed Velveeta and shredded mozzarella.
- Reduce the heat to medium / low and slowly stir until the cheese is fully melted and well combined.
- Next, add the cooked pasta and langostinos. Toss until everything is well coated in the sauce.
- In a separate pan, add butter, cracked black pepper, pinch of paprika and panko breadcrumbs. Once the breadcrumbs are slightly toasted remove them from the heat.
- Pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into the prepared baking dish. Be sure to scrape all the cheese sauce into the pan.
- Top with the toasted breadcrumbs. Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, top with fresh chives and serve hot.
4 Comments on “Langostino Macaroni and Cheese”
This recipe sounds incredible. I had langostino recently at a restaurant and it was delicious. I can’t wait to try this out!
Where can I find langostino?
your local grocer should carry it. It’ll be in the seafood section!
So I found something similar to langostino in the frozen seafood section at Trader Joe’s, Argentinian Red Shrimp and this turned out amazing. I will definitely be making it again! I followed the rest of the recipe exactly.