Baked Rigatoni With Bechamel Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bechamel sauce:
• In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Always stirring, gradually add the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup fontina, prosciutto and season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.
• In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add the rigatoni and cook for about 5 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander. Return pasta to the pot and pour in bechamel sauce. Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.
• Into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pour the pasta with cream sauce. Smooth out top and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup fontina. Dot the top with diced butter and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bechamel sauce: In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
• Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Always stirring, gradually add the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
• Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• This will take approximately 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup fontina, prosciutto and season with salt and white pepper.
• Set aside.
• In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water.
• Add the rigatoni and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard.
• Drain in a colander.
• Return pasta to the pot and pour in bechamel sauce.
• Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.
• Into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pour the pasta with cream sauce.
• Smooth out top and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup fontina.
• Dot the top with diced butter and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/gas 3. Halve the tomatoes through their equator, rather than their core. Stand them cut-side up on a shallow baking tray (I use a nonstick Swiss roll tin). Scatter a little salt, pepper and sugar over the cut surfaces and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Roast for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice the aubergine into rounds, brush both sides with oil and spread out in one layer on another tray. After the tomatoes have been roasting for 45 minutes, put the aubergines in with them and roast for another 45 minutes.
• Towards the end of the time, cook the pasta in plenty of gently boiling well-salted water until nearly al dente - it should be undercooked because it finishes off in the oven. Drain well and tip into a large bowl. Have ready 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil mixed with the crushed garlic and chopped olives. Toss the oil mixture through the pasta and turn half of it into a 2-21⁄2 litre ovenproof dish.
• Remove the tomatoes and aubergines from the oven. (You can prepare them up to 24 hours ahead.)
• Turn up the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Scatter half the tomatoes and their juices over the pasta in the dish. Roughly tear the basil leaves and scatter on top. Drain the mozzarella, pat dry with kitchen paper, then slice very thinly. Lay two-thirds of the slices over the tomatoes. Grind black pepper over, and scatter over the aubergine. Add the rest of the pasta, top with the remaining tomatoes and mozzarella and then the parmesan. (Can be made up to here 3-4 hours in advance). Bake for 20-25 minutes, until piping hot and the top is extra crusty. Serve hot with a sprinkle of basil and extra parmesan.