Chef notes
A twist on a classic baked ziti, but perhaps better and definitely easier, this dish is an adult version of mac and cheese with bits of salty prosciutto that is impossible to stop eating.
Technique tip: Cook the pasta a couple minutes shy of al dente so it can finish cooking through in the oven and avoid it overcooking and becoming gummy.
Swap option: Swap any pasta, cheese or salumi you have on hand, just make sure you use a cheese that melts well.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups whole milk
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 4 ounces fontina, shredded, divided
- 3 ounces prosciutto, roughly chopped or torn
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino
Preparation
1.Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2.Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt, add the pasta and cook 2 minutes shy of al dente, about 7 minutes, meanwhile, make the sauce.
3.In a saucepan, add the butter; once melted, add the flour, stir it in, cooking for about 30 seconds, then add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then cook while stirring for about 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat or until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper then stir in the nutmeg, mustard, 2/3 of the fontina, prosciutto, Parmesan and pecorino.
4.Once the pasta is cooked, drain well, place it back in the same pot, add the creamy cheese sauce, stir to make sure each piece is well coated then place in a buttered dish (9- by 13-inch or slightly smaller is good) top with the remaining third of fontina and a bit more Parmesan.
5.Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden-brown and bubbly. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
