Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

By norsegal8

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 cups Bechamel sauce
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into thin strips
• 1 cup grated Fontina cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• pinch of white pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 pound dried rigatoni
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly coat a 13x9-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 proscuitto, 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 the boil. Add the rigatoni and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost temder but still very firm, about 5 minutes. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in the cheese sauce and season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the pasta mixture into the prepared dish, the sprinkle with the remaining fontina cheese and dot the top with the butter. (The pasta can be prepared to this point up to 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate - remove cover before baking.) Bake the pasta until the top is golden brown and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.