- 20 mins
- 50 mins
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta, about 3 cups
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen peas, cooked
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 2 cups diced ham
- 2 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, about 12 ounces, divided
- Topping***
- 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs*
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350°
Spray a 3-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or lightly grease with butter.
In a large saucepan, cook penne pasta following package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse with hot water. Cook the peas.
Note: To cook the peas with the pasta, add the frozen peas to the pasta during the last 2 minutes of cooking time and add 2 minutes to the cooking time. Drain the pasta and peas together and rinse with hot water.
In a saucepan or saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the green onions, parsley, and garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the milk and cook, stirring, until thickened. Add the ham and 2 cups of the shredded cheese and cook, stirring, until cheese is melted and the sauce is hot and bubbly.
Add the drained pasta and peas to the sauce, mixing well and heating through.
Spoon into the baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese.
Combine the bread crumbs and melted butter and toss to blend thoroughly. Sprinkle over the shredded cheese layer.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until crumbs are browned and the casserole is hot and bubbly.