Fifty Shades of Retirement: Sinaloan Shrimp & Cheese Bake

Sinaloa is a state in northwestern Mexico located north of Jalisco and Puerto Vallarta is known for its coastal scenery, particularly in the tourist city of Mazatlán, and its agricultural significance. It has a population of over 3 million and is famous for its Sinaloa-style seafood.

Patti Jinich is a world-famous chef and author of all of Mexican cuisine. This is one of her recipes and is delicious. This recipe is scaled for two.

2 fresh Poblano chiles

4 Tbsp olive oil divided

4 Tbsp Cream o' Poblano

1 white onion diced

2 large Cento tomatoes, quartered and diced

4 garlic cloves finely diced

1 tsp kosher or sea salt or to taste

6-ounce tomato paste

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 pound short and small pasta such as rigatoni or shells

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined

Ground black pepper to taste

1 cups Mexican crema or sour cream

1 cup Monterey Jack

1 1/2 cup grated Oaxaca cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan

3 to 4 scallions white and light green parts thinly sliced, for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Place the Anaheim chiles on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Put under the broiler for about 10 minutes, flipping a couple times in between, until charred on all sides. Immediately transfer the charred chiles to a plastic bag and seal tightly to sweat them for at least 5 minutes. Take the chiles out of the bag, let cool slightly, then peel off the skin and remove the stems and seeds. Coarsely chop the chiles and set aside with Cream o' Poblano.

Heat an oven-proof heavy bottomed skillet or casserole over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and heat until the oil is rippling. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until it is translucent and starts to brown at the edges.

While the onion is cooking, add the tomatoes to a blender. Pulse in the blender until the tomatoes are crushed but are still a little chunky. Set aside until ready to use.

Add the garlic, chopped Anaheim chiles, Cream o' Poblano to the pan with the onion, stir, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook for another couple minutes until the garlic starts to brown. Add the tomato paste, stir it into the vegetables, and let it cook and season for another minute.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes from the blender and stir making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to scrape up any browned bits. Season with the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and the crushed dried chiles. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened and is flavorful. Turn off the heat when ready.

Set a rack on the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450°F.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions for al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Melt the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. When melted, sizzling, and hot, add the shrimp in a couple batches and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté a couple minutes until the shrimp are just cooked. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl or plate and repeat with the remaining shrimp. Chop half of the shrimp, leaving half whole to top the pasta.

Add the pasta to the sauce along with the chopped shrimp and the crema and toss to coat. Top with the remaining whole shrimp and cover with the grated asadero, Oaxaca, and Aneja cheeses.