Ham & Corn Pasta Bake
Servings 3 servings
Ingredients
- 8 ounces long pasta (like fusilli, rotini, gemelli & cavatappi)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion (finely diced)
- ¾ cup frozen corn
- 1 cup cooked thick-cut ham (about 1/8-inch thick) (cut into 1-inch x ½-inch strips)
Béchamel Sauce (White sauce):
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 thin slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C).
- Bring a large pot of water (salted) to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain and rinse the pasta with water until cool.
- Meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat, warm up 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion and sauté until soften. Add the frozen corn and ham until warmed through.
- For the sauce, in a medium pot over medium-low heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally to prevent sticking on the bottom. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in mozzarella and stir until fully incorporated. Add a pinch of ground nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cooked ham mixture and cooked pasta. Adjust with seasoning if needed. If the mixture is too thick, thin it out with a bit of the reserved pasta water.
- Transfer the pasta to an oven safe baking dish, top with the provolone cheese. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Allow the pasta to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot.
Notes
- For the ham, you can use the ones from a box (thick cut) or get a few slices from the butcher. Both will work. Leftover holiday ham is perfect too.
- Oven step is not a must; you can skip it if you want. The main reason for using the oven is to melt the cheese.