Microwave Gratinated Pasta is one of my tastiest, simplest, and fastest microwave main dishes to make! The classic “3 P pasta” gratinated in the microwave, a perfect dish for Sundays and beyond! A variant of my Microwave Baked Pasta made with peas and ham and topped with Microwave Cooked Bechamel and then gratinated to get that really irresistible crust! If you want a vegetarian version, you can try my White Baked Pasta with Zucchini or you can add more cheese to make it more indulgent and stringy like my Cheese Oven-Baked Gratinated Pasta!

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Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Cheap
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Portions: 4 People
Cooking methods: Microwave
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All Seasons

Ingredients

2.7 cups water
11.3 oz mezze penne rigate
7.1 oz peas
1 stock cube (vegetable)
salt
pepper
1.5 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
2.5 tbsp butter
salt
nutmeg
3.5 oz cooked ham
1.8 oz Grana Padano cheese, grated

What You Need to Cook Gratinated Pasta in White

1 Microwave
1 Baking Dish 12×8 inches

How to Prepare Microwave Gratinated Pasta

Place the butter pieces in a bowl and melt it completely in the microwave.
Add the flour and mix. Also add the milk, season with nutmeg and salt, and mix well.
Set the microwave to about 600 watts for 4 minutes, place the bowl inside, and start.
After this time, mix the bechamel well, always with the whisk.
Put the bowl back in the microwave and start again, always at 600 watts for another 4 minutes.
Repeat the operation and start for the last 4 minutes; at this point, the bechamel is ready.
Put the pasta in a large bowl and add the peas.
Add all the water, stock cube, and season with salt to taste.
Cover the bowl with microwave-safe plastic wrap and make two small holes.
Place the bowl in the microwave and cook at 800W for 8 minutes, then lower to 600W and continue for another 5 minutes.
When the pasta with peas is cooked, remove the plastic wrap, season with pepper, and stir to flavor.
Add the shredded cooked ham and mix.
Flavor with the grated Grana cheese, mix again, and then add the previously cooked bechamel.
Distribute the seasoned pasta inside the baking dish and level it gently.
Sprinkle the surface with more grated Grana cheese.
Insert the rack inside the microwave and cook the gratinated pasta in the microwave with the combi function (microwave+grill) at maximum power for 10 minutes.
At the end of cooking, let the pasta rest in the microwave for 5 minutes, then serve it, still hot.