BAKED RIGATONI WITH BECHAMEL SAUCE

BAKED RIGATONI WITH BECHAMEL SAUCE image

Yield 6 side-dish servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

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1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cups Bechamel Sauce (see recipe)
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

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 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 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 gloden brown and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.