Recipe Background
A creamy and indulgent ham and cheese pasta bake perfect for a cozy dinner.
This simple pasta bake combines pasta, ham, and cheese for an easy dinner that’s filling. Rotini pasta is covered in a ham and cheese sauce and baked with extra cheese on top — it's decadent, to be sure, but so very worth it. Pair the Easy Ham & Cheese Pasta Bake with a light green salad and some roasted veggies to make it more of a balanced meal. Alternatively, you can embrace the indulgence of Easy Ham & Cheese Pasta Bake and grab your favorite chocolate cake for dessert. The choice is yours!
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) box rotini pasta
- 2 1/2 cups milk warm
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups mild cheddar cheese grated, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups ham cooked and cubed
- fresh parsley optional, to taste, chopped, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare a 13x9 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set it aside.
- Cook the pasta to al dente, according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta and return it to the pan.
- In a large skillet on low heat on the stovetop, melt the butter.
- Add in the flour, whisking for 1 minute. Add the warm milk slowly, constantly whisking.
- Increase the heat to medium and stir until thickened.
- Gradually add 1 1/4 cups of the cheddar cheese, whisking until melted after each addition.
- Add in the ham.
- Season the sauce with the salt and the pepper.
- Stir the ham-cheese mixture into the pasta, mixing well.
- Move the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake until bubbly, about 20-30 minutes.
- Garnish with the fresh parsley and serve!
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