 |
 |
 |
Ingredients -- About 1 3/4 cups pasta shells or penne (about 5 ounces) -- 1 1/2 cups diced (1/2-inch) cooked ham (about 7 ounces) -- 3/4 cup corn kernels (from about 1 ear corn) -- 1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen -- 1 1/2 cups cubed (1/2-inch) zucchini -- 3/4 teaspoon salt -- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper -- 3/4 cup grated Swiss (Gruyere or Emmenthaler) cheese Put the cooked pasta in a large bowl and stir in the ham, corn, peas, zucchini, salt, pepper, and Swiss cheese. For the white sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and mix it in with a whisk. Add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally with the whisk, especially at the edges of the saucepan. The sauce should thicken. Remove the pan from the heat, and mix in the cream. Let cool to lukewarm. Heat the broiler. Combine the sauce with the pasta mixture in the bowl and transfer to a gratin dish or shallow baking dish with about a 6-cup capacity. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Broil about 4 inches from the heat source for 6 to 8 minutes, or until bubbly hot and the surface is lightly browned. Serve immediately. Make Ahead The gratin can be made ahead, sprinkled with Parmesan, and kept, covered, at room temperature for a few hours or refrigerated for up to a day before it is finished in the oven. If refrigerated, bring back to room temperature and bake on a cookie sheet for about 3° minutes in a 425 degree oven until heated through and lightly browned on top. Do not try to keep the cooked gratin in a warm oven for more than 10 to 15 minutes, or the pasta will swell up in the liquid and become gooey. |
Pasta, Ham, and Vegetable Gratin|
© 2005 jacquespepin.net |