Baked Ham and Cheese Pasta Bechamel Sauce
Cheesy, warm, and delicious! This is the ultimate baked pasta comfort meal to enjoy on a cold day. It is a meal the entire family will enjoy. This meal is sure to please even picky eaters. It makes a great cozy Sunday meal, or make it in the morning and bake it in the evening on a busy weeknight. It is indulgent and super satisfying. Grab a bowl and feel the "amore" in this baked pasta meal.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Bechamel Sauce:
- 6 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour all purpose
- 4 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons parmigiano
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- fresh ground pepper to taste
Other Ingredients:
- 1 cup grated mozzarella
- ½ cup grated parmigiano cheese
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 5 fresh basil leaves torn into small pieces
- ½ pound thinly sliced prosciutto or ham of choice, cut into thin strips
- 1 pound dry short pasta such as shells or rigatoni
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Make the Bechamel Sauce (can be made days in advance and stored in fridge): In a medium saucepan on low medium heat melt the butter. Whisk in the flour until well combined with butter. Keep whisking for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rest of ingredients: milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper and whisk everything together.
- Cook for another 10 minutes and keep whisking as it gets thicker. Add the parmigiano and stir to combine. You will know it is ready when it sticks to the back of the spoon. Turn off heat and set aside.*
- In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add the pasta and cook until 2 minutes before al dente cooking time. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still a bit hard. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water.
- Drain pasta. Return pasta to the pot and pour in bechamel sauce. Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is coated with the sauce. Stir in the ham and basil.
- Into a greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish, pour the pasta with cream sauce and ham. Smooth out top and sprinkle with mozzarella, parmiggiano, and bread crumbs.
- Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden brown.
Notes
*Know your béchamel is done: A properly thickened roux should “coat the back of the spoon,” which means dip your spoon into the béchamel and then draw a finger through the coated spoon. Does the sauce wipe clean, leaving an open space? Then your béchamel is done and ready.
Nutrition
Calories: 772kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 822mg | Potassium: 531mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 849IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 444mg | Iron: 2mg
