Baked Ham Rigatoni ~ Cheesy Good ~

If you have a love for pasta and cheese then Baked Ham Rigatoni is the recipe for you. One of my weaknesses is "Pasta" oh how I could eat it everyday, add some cheese and that just makes it that much better. I saw this recipe for Baked Ham Rigatoni at Recipes of a Cheapskate. At first glimpse I knew I had to make it all that cheesy pasta with a homemade white sauce, it just looked to good to pass up. This dish was so fast and easy to throw together and everyone loved it. I mean how can you go wrong with pasta and cheese, plus this dish is pretty inexpensive to make as well. I get a bit nervous sometimes when I have to make my own creamy white sauce. I always think I am going to mess it up, but I didn't it turned out perfect. Serve with a salad and some crusty french bread, definitely comfort food at it's best. I will be making this dish again.

These are the ingredients you will need:
1 lb Rigatoni pasta, 2 tablespoons of real butter, Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, deli ham, onion powder, pepper, milk and flour.


Start out by melting your butter in a pan and starting your water for the pasta to boil. When the water is boiling, add pasta and cook until just past the Al-dente stage. Just starting to get soft.


you will need to make a basic white sauce, so once your butter is melted, whisk in the flour. Sorry for the fuzzy pic.



You need 4 cups of milk, so once you make your roux from the butter and the flour and the milk.


when adding the milk pour in a little at a time using a wire whisk stir so no lumps form, then keep adding more milk until it is all gone.


Continue to stir with a whisk until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.



When the white sauce is done, add your seasoning, ham,



and 1 cup of the cheese. stir well, to get the cheese melted.



drain the pasta.



make sure the cheese is melted then



add the pasta to the sauce, mix well and



pour mixture into a greased 9x13 pan, smooth the top and sprinkle with additional cup of cheese. Dot the top with your pads of butter and bake for about 25 minutes,

or until the top is bubbly and brown. Let cool a bit and serve



BAKED HAM RIGATONI

1 pkg (16 oz) rigatoni pasta
2 - tablespoons real butter (1 oz)
1/2 cup flour
1 qt milk (4 cups)
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (separated)
about 1/2 lb thinly sliced ham
seasonings
(onion salt, pepper, cayenne pepper is optional)
small pads of butter for top

Preheat oven to 425degrees. Melt butter over medium heat and start water boiling for pasta. Once butter is melted, whisk in flour. Add your milk, and continue to stir until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. When the water is boiling, add pasta and cook until just past the Al-dente stage. Just starting to get soft. When the white sauce is done, add your seasoning, ham, and one cup cheese. stir well, to get the cheese melted. Drain your pasta and add to the sauce. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 pan, smooth the top and sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese. Dot the top with your pads of butter and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and brown.

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The Mom in Mommy's Kitchen