Baked Rigatoni With Bechamel Sauce

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 10 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 quart whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 pinch fresh nutmeg
• sea salt
• pepper
• 1 cup grated fontina
• 1/2 lb thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned
• 1 lb dry rigatoni pasta
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 425 degrees f.
• 2 bechamel sauce: in a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
• 3 add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• 4 always stirring, gradually add the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
• 5 simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• 6 this will take approximately 10 minutes.
• 7 remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup fontina, prosciutto and season with salt and pepper.
• 8 set aside.
• 9 in a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water.
• 10 add the rigatoni and cook for about 5 minutes.
• 11 since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard.
• 12 drain in a colander.
• 13 return pasta to the pot and pour in bechamel sauce.
• 14 using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.
• 15 into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pour the pasta with cream sauce.
• 16 smooth out top and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup fontina.
• 17 dot the top with diced butter and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden brown.