Recipe

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• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 medium sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 5 tbsp butter
• 1 lb dried medium shell pasta
• 1 small scotch bonnet pepper (whole with at least two slits)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• hot sauce ( as desired)
• 3 cups milk
• 1 lb brie cheese, trimmed and chopped ( reserve 8 small wedges for topping)
• 12 oz lump crabmeat, drained, flaked, and cartilage removed (2 cans of 6 oz each or fresh, if desired)
• 3 slices firm white bread , torn into large pieces

• 1 Preheat oven to 350º F.
• 2 Lightly coat eight 14-to 16-ounce individual baking dishes with cooking spray; set aside.
• 3 In large skillet cook onion in butter over medium-low heat about 15 to 20 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally.
• 4 Meanwhile, cook pasta in 4-quart Dutch oven according to package directions and add a whole Scotch Bonnet pepper pierced once or twice; drain and return to pan.
• 5 Add flour, salt, pepper & hot sauce (a couple of drops) to onion in skillet; stir until combined, about 1 minute. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly.
• 6 Gradually add chopped cheese; cook over medium-low heat until cheese melts. Stir into pasta. Fold in crab. Transfer to baking dishes.
• 7 Place bread pieces in food processor; cover and process to coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs over pasta mixture.
• 8 Bake, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through and crumbs are golden brown. If desired, add a wedge of Brie to each dish the last 5 minutes of baking time.