Pasta Baked With Peas And Ham

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 ounces prosciutto, cotto or 4 ounces cooked ham
• 1 cup blanched fresh peas or 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
• 3/4 cup freshly grated grana padano or 3/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 lb dried pasta shells (or penne rigate or penne)

Recipe

• 1 bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta; preheat oven to 500°.
• 2 cut the ham into long 1/2-inch wide strips, then cut crosswise to make 1- to 1 1/2 inch long pieces (you should have about 1 cup).
• 3 toss in a large mixing bowl; add in the peas, pecorino romano, 1/2 cup of the grana padano, cream, and salt; mix together.
• 4 add just enough grated nutmeg for a good whiff to reach your nose.
• 5 your want to flavor the cream discreetly.
• 6 fold it into the mixture and add more salt if necessary.
• 7 generously salt the boiling water and drop in the pasta.
• 8 cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes.
• 9 the pasta will be parboiled and too hard to eat; it cooks further in the oven.
• 10 drain the macaroni, reserving 1 cup of the water, and transfer the pasta to the mixing bowl.
• 11 add 1/2 cup pasta water and toss again; there should be abundant liquid surrounding the pasta; add more water if it looks too dry or too thick.
• 12 transfer the pasta and its sauce to individual shallow baking dishes or to 1 or 2 shallow baking dishes.
• 13 bake for 8-10 minutes (check halfway through baking time and drizzle with more pasta water if necessary), until bubbly hot with a few browned noodles on top.
• 14 serve right away with the remaining grana padano passed at the table.