Shrimp Alfredo

1 lb. spaghetti or fettuccine
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 cups half-and-half
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 lb. shrimp, cooked, shelled and deveined
1/4 cup cheese for topping
Panko

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook spaghetti according to package.  Drain and add olive oil, tossing to coat.  Mix 1/4 cup of the half-and-half with the cornstarch.  Stir well and set aside.  In a medium saucepan add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of half-and-half and place over medium-high heat.  Stir in the garlic salt and nutmeg.  Bring to a simmer and then stir in the cornstarch mixture.  Cook for about a minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add cheese stirring until melted.  Add shrimp.  Pour over spaghetti and toss to coat.  Pour into 2 qt. baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese and Panko.  Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.  Serves 6

Comment:  I found a version of this recipe on recipe.com.  I made just a few changes.  For one, I had no fettuccine but plenty of spaghetti so I made that change.  The recipe called for Asiago cheese but I decided to use Cheddar which worked out perfect.  It called for 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed and since I'm not a fan of frozen peas I omitted that ingredient.  It called for jumbo shrimp which I have but I also had some pre-cooked frozen small shrimp.  I thawed these, pinched off the tails and they worked perfectly.  I also added the baking step, extra cheese and Panko.  This dish is really good and if you Think With Your Taste Buds you can come up with other variations such as using chicken instead of shrimp; using Imitation Crab which will really cut the cost;  using different flavors of cheese; and maybe even adding capers or olives for added flavor.