Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce
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INGREDIENTS Bechamel Sauce
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart whole milk, at room temperature
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt and white pepper
1 cup grated Fontina cheese
1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned1 pound dry rigatoni
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, dicedPreheat oven to 425 degrees.
For The Sauce - In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stirring constantly, gradually add the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This usually takes about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup Fontina, prosciutto, and season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.
In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add the rigatoni and cook for about 5 minutes. You will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, so you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander. Return pasta to the pot and pour in the sauce. Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.
Into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish, pour the pasta with the cream sauce. Smooth out the top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Fontina cheese. Dot the top with diced butter and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden. (If it begins to brown too quickly, reduce oven temperature a little).