Baked pasta au gratin with ham, peas and mozzarella
Baked pasta with peas and cooked ham is one of those dishes that instantly evokes home, Sunday dinners, and forks plunging into a still-steaming dish.
Ingredients · Servings 3
- 230g of short pasta
- 150g of diced cooked ham
- 120g of frozen peas
- 125 g of mozzarella
- 1/2 small onion
- 25g of grated Parmesan cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Shall
- Black pepper
- 300 ml of milk
- 25g of butter
- 25 g of flour
- Salt (amount to taste)
- Pepper (amount to taste)
- Nutmeg (amount to taste)
Method · 40 min
- Peel the onion and chop it very finely with a knife.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir with a whisk until you obtain a smooth roux.
- Gradually pour in the hot milk, stirring constantly. Cook until you have a smooth and creamy béchamel sauce. Season with salt and pepper, add a pinch of nutmeg, and set aside.
- Heat a frying pan with a little oil. Add the chopped onion and let it soften over low heat. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring often.
- Then add the diced cooked ham and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, so that all the flavors meld together. Adjust the salt and pepper.
- Spread a layer of béchamel sauce on the bottom of the oven dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the time indicated on the package. Drain it, reserving some of the cooking water.
- Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and add the sautéed peas and ham. Mix well.
- Stir in the remaining béchamel sauce, half of the diced mozzarella, and some of the Parmesan cheese, reserving a little for the top. Mix well and add a little cooking water if needed to thin the mixture.
- Transfer the seasoned pasta to the dish little by little and spread it evenly.
- Distribute the remaining mozzarella and the reserved parmesan on top to achieve a golden gratin.
- Bake in a fan oven, preheated to 180ºC, for 20 or 22 minutes.
- Take the dish out of the oven and serve the pasta piping hot. And that's it!
