This is a fairly rich dish suited to the period from fall to spring. It's standard north Italian fare of the hearty sort one might expect in a good pizzeria. Comfort food, in other words. To serve 8-10, you'll need:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 pounds (800 g) penne or similar ribbed pasta
- 1 pint (500 ml) cream
- 1 3/4 (450 ml) cups fairly fluid béchamel sauce
- 1 pound (450 g) cooked ham (the kind one purchases in a deli as a cold cut), thinly sliced and shredded
- 3 cups (150 g) grated Parmigiano
- 1/2 cup (100 g) unsalted butter
Preparation:
Lightly salt a pot of water, bring it to a boil, and cook the pasta; drain it while it's still quite al dente. In the meantime prepare the remaining ingredients and grease a large oven-proof dish with some of the butter.
Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).
Upon draining the pasta, combine it with the remaining butter, the cream, half the grated Parmigiano, and the ham. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish, spread the béchamel sauce over it, and dust it with the remaining grated cheese. Heat the dish through in the oven for about 10 minutes (don't let the cheese overbrown or it will become bitter) and serve. You can also run the dish under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese.
The wine? I might go with a zesty, aggressive Nebbiolo from the Val D'Aosta here, or a light, vegetal Cabernet from Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Yield: 8-10 servings macaroni with ham and cheese.
Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).
Upon draining the pasta, combine it with the remaining butter, the cream, half the grated Parmigiano, and the ham. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish, spread the béchamel sauce over it, and dust it with the remaining grated cheese. Heat the dish through in the oven for about 10 minutes (don't let the cheese overbrown or it will become bitter) and serve. You can also run the dish under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese.
The wine? I might go with a zesty, aggressive Nebbiolo from the Val D'Aosta here, or a light, vegetal Cabernet from Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Yield: 8-10 servings macaroni with ham and cheese.
