Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce Recipe courtesy Giada De LaurentiisSee this recipe on air Friday May. 27 at 11:00 AM ET/PT.Recipe SummaryDifficulty: Medium Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Yield: 6 servings User Rating: 

Bechamel sauce: 1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces) 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 quart whole milk, at room temperature Pinch fresh nutmeg Sea salt and white pepper 1 cup grated fontina 1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned 1 pound dry rigatoni 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced 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.