Macaroni Ham & Cheese
Creamy macaroni with ham and cheese from the oven,
with béchamel, prosciutto cotto and Parmigiano Reggiano DOP.
⏱️ Prep: 40 minutes
👥 Servings: 4 people+
🍳 Level: easy
🔪 Material: Baking dish
🍝 Pasta shape: Macaroni
🔥 Calories / Energy:
The classic that everyone knows, Macaroni Ham and Cheese:
A real béchamel with nutmeg, prosciutto cotto instead of regular ham, and Parmigiano Reggiano DOP with pecorino for a golden crust.
The same comfort, more flavour.
🛒 What do you need? (Ingredients)
Macaroni
320 grams
Butter
50 grams
Flour Type 0.0
50 grams
Prosciutto cotto,
500 grams
Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
120 grams
Pecorino
60 grams
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon
Nutmeg
to taste
Salt
to taste
Pepper
to taste
The Preparation (Step-by-step)
Step 1:
Oven and pasta:
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (top and bottom heat). Cook the maccheroni in plenty of salted water, 2 minutes shorter than stated on the package. The pasta will go in the oven and should therefore remain al dente. Drain and let steam off.
Step 2:
Searing ham:
Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the prosciutto cotto for 2 minutes over medium heat. This gives the ham some colour and more flavour. Set aside.
Making béchamel:
Melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute until a smooth roux without colour is formed.
Pour in the milk in three additions, stirring smooth after each. Let simmer gently for 5 minutes until the sauce coats the spoon. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Step 3:
Melting cheese:
Remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in 90 g of Parmigiano and all the pecorino into the sauce until everything is melted. Do not cook the sauce further, otherwise the cheese will become grainy.
Step 4:
Mixing:
Fold the pasta and ham into the cheese sauce and place everything in a baking dish..
Gratinating:
Sprinkle the remaining 30 g of Parmigiano on top.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the oven until the top is golden brown and bubbling at the edges.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Step 6:
Step 5:
The Secret of Nonna Kelvini.
Always use freshly grated Parmigiano.
Pre-grated cheese contains anti-caking agents and makes the sauce grainy.
If you want it even creamier, keep a splash of the pasta cooking water aside and stir it into the sauce if it becomes too thick in the dish.
Serving suggestion:
A fresh salad with lemon and olive oil goes well with it.
Make this recipe yourself with the real original ingredients from Southern Italy:
For the best results, use the authentic ingredients directly from our artisanal producers:
✍️ Dive deeper into Italian cuisine:
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