Nordstrom's Gourmet Crab Mac + Cheese

Got this recipe from the Nordstrom cookbook, so all credit goes to them! Everyone in my family loved this gourmet version of Mac'N'Cheese, even Lincoln. I also blended up a small portion for V the next morning and he ate it right up. Last thing, this recipe isn't the "healthiest" per se, but life is about balance, right?

Ingredients

1 pound orecchiette pasta
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 2/3 cups half-and-half
2/3 cup dry white wine
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Italian fontina d’Aosta or domestic fontina
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound crabmeat, preferably jumbo lump, picked over for shell bits
Finely chopped fresh chives for garnish


*A few notes about the ingredients...
I did all of my shopping at Whole Foods. For the crab, I purchased pasteurized crab that you can find in the seafood freezer section. I wouldn't purchase fresh jumbo lump crab from the seafood department because the good stuff is $$$$. Thus, the canned fresh, pasteurized crab in the seafood freezer section is the way to go. Also, for white wine, I used Pinot Grigio, I believe. This did the job. Lastly, I purchased the orecchiette pasta from the fresh pasta section in Whole Foods. While this made the recipe taste AMAZING,  not sure I'd do it again due to price. Go for the generic stuff in the pasta aisle.

Directions

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish or 6 ovenproof crocks.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir well, and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
3. Meanwhile, melt 5 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and let bubble without browning for 1 minute. Whisk in the half-and-half and wine. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil, whisking often, until smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the fontina. Season generously with salt and white pepper.
4. Melt the remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the panko and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.
5. Drain the pasta and return to the cooking pot. Add the fontina sauce and stir well. Stir in the crab. Spread in the prepared baking dish or divide among the crocks. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup fontina and top with the panko mixture. Place the baking dish or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet.
6. Bake until the mixture is bubbling, about 25 minutes (or about 20 minutes for the crocks). Let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the chives and serve.