Baked Rigatoni w/ Bechamel Sauce

[DaytonaBeachGal]

Hey Ladies! I just made this Sunday night for a cozy meal on football night and it was amazing! Compliments of Giada/Redbook Mag --- there was plenty to feed my Husband and I 2 servings each and enough leftover to fill a second baking dish to freeze for later. This dish was easy and quick to put together! Served with a salad.

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 Cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 quart whole milk ( warmed to room temp )
1 Cup grated Fontina cheese
1/2 pound julienned prociutto ham
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 pound dry rigatoni pasta

pinch nutmeg ( optional )

I found the fontina cheese ( Cracker Barrel brand ) in the cheese section and just chopped it myself.
I would purchase the prosciutto from the Deli - its better freshly sliced than vacuum packed.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. To make sauce: Over medium heat in 1 Quart saucepan melt butter stick and flour; wisk together and slowly add milk, continuely stirring. Add all of milk and bring to simmer stirring for about 10 minutes, until sauce is thick enough to coat back of a wooden spoon. Meanwhile boil your Rigatoni pasta until partial cooked. Remove sauce mixture from heat and add julienned prociutto ham and 1/2 cup of your cheese. When pasta is done to direction, drain and add sauce mixture coating pasta and pouring in 2 separate greased baking pans. Sprinkle top of dish with leftover 1/2 cup of fontina cheese and dot with butter. Bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees.

YUM! Comfort food. Let me know if you liked it as much as us!