Gratin with Pasta and Ham
In my childhood there was an unspoken division of sauces into two categories: On the one hand, there were the tomato sauces, which were easy to cook yourself and were always popular. The other, “dark side of the sauces”, were all the light sauces. We never really dared to make them, and when we did try, the results were usually poor. The result: for light sauces you just use the pre-packaged.
But that’s over now, because today I have a recipe for a wonderfully creamy pasta-ham gratin, which does completely without a bag and is guaranteed to taste twice as good! First, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Please make sure that the pasta still has a good bite, as it will go into the oven later.
Meanwhile, the ingredients for the sauce can already be whisked. Here is the possibility for variation: Season the sauce with the herbs and spices that you particularly like.
After the pasta has been drained, put the same pot back on the stove and melt some butter in it. Calorie-conscious eaters are welcome to use oil here. Now toss the pasta in the pot with the butter and diced ham. For a vegetarian gratin, simply omit the meat! Or how about an extra serving of vegetables in the form of peas? This basic recipe can be adapted in many ways.
Last, put the pasta in a baking dish and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake the gratin in the oven (by the way, I never preheat the oven for such non-delicate recipes).
Gratin with Pasta and Ham
Ingredients
- 250 g pasta of your choice
- 200 ml cream
- 1 egg
- salt pepper
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- Additional spices or herbs of choice e.g. chives, etc.
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 75 g cottage ham
- 50 g grated cheese e.g. Emmentaler
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente.Meanwhile, whisk well the cream, egg, salt, pepper, nutmeg and possibly other spices or herbs in a cup.
- Strain the pasta and return the pot to the stove. Melt the butter and mix with the pasta and diced ham. Pour into a baking dish and sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Bake in the oven at 180 °C convection oven (200 °C top/bottom heat) for about 25 minutes. Bon appetit!
