Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 cups Bechamel Sauce (page 79)
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into thin strips
- 1 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Pinch of freshly ground white pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 pound dried rigatoni
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly coat a 13 X 9-inch glass baking dish with the oil.
- In a medium saucepan, stir the bechamel sauce over medium heat until hot (do not allow the sauce to boil).
- Stir in the prosciutto, 1/2 cup of the fontina cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of white pepper.
- Set the cheese sauce aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the rigatoni and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender but still very firm, about 5 minutes (do not cook the pasta to doneness at this point, since it will continue cooking as it bakes in the oven).
- Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
- Stir in the cheese sauce and season the pasta mixture with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon the pasta mixture into the prepared dish, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of fontina cheese and dot the top with the butter.
- (The pasta can be prepared up to this point 8 hours ahead.
- Cover and refrigerate.
- Uncover before baking.)
- Bake the pasta until the top is golden brown and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
olive oil, bechamel sauce, freshly grated fontina cheese, salt, ground white pepper, rigatoni, unsalted butter
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/baked-rigatoni-with-bechamel-sauce-376696 (may not work)