Baked Cavatappi With Smoked Ham And Fontina

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon sherry wine
• 1 lb cavatappi pasta
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk (may use low fat)
• 1 pinch grated nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• 5 ounces fontina cheese, in julienne strips
• 8 ounces smoked ham, coarsely chopped

Recipe

• 1 bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil.
• 2 meanwhile, saute mushrooms in 1 tbs.
• 3 butter over medium heat for two minutes.
• 4 add sherry, stir for 1 minute and remove mushrooms from heat.
• 5 cook the cavatappi in the boiling water until al dente and drain.
• 6 while pasta is cooking, melt 3 tbs.
• 7 butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• 8 add the flour and whisk until smooth.
• 9 gradually add milk and continue whisking.
• 10 stir over heat until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
• 11 remove from heat and add sauteed mushrooms, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• 12 butter a large ovenproof dish, and arrange 1/3 of the cavatappi in the dish.
• 13 top with 1/3 of the cheese and ham and spoon on 1/3 of the sauce.
• 14 repeat the layers two more times, ending with sauce.
• 15 bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until heated through and bubbly, about 20 to 30 minutes minutes.
• 16 (casserole may also be refrigerated and baked later. increase baking time to 30 minutes for a chilled casserole.) (djm notes: use a dish smaller and a little deeper than a basic 9x13.).