Easy Pasta au Gratin: Abundant béchamel and gooey provola, pasta au gratin reminds me of my childhood. It has always been one of my mother’s holiday dishes.
In Naples, actually, it has many names. At my house, it was called pasta with béchamel but it is also famous as “pasta al gratté“.
Whatever you call it, make it now! And try my easy version ready in no time!
It saves dinner in the time it takes to cook the pasta, and then just a quick bake in the oven. Discover how to make it right away.
ALSO TRY:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter, Spring, All Seasons
- Energy 390.18 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 36.14 (g) of which sugars 2.72 (g)
- Proteins 20.45 (g)
- Fat 17.89 (g) of which saturated 6.10 (g)of which unsaturated 4.16 (g)
- Fibers 2.32 (g)
- Sodium 606.30 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 9 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Easy Pasta au Gratin
- 12 oz pasta (rigatoni or ziti or penne)
- 1 cup béchamel (link to the recipe)
- 5.3 oz smoked provola
- 3.5 oz cooked ham
- to taste parmesan (grated)
- to taste breadcrumbs
What you need for Easy Pasta au Gratin
- 1 Saucepan saucepan
- 1 Baking Dish glass baking dish
- 1 Knife kitchen knife
Procedure for Easy Pasta au Gratin
Before starting, immediately prepare my light béchamel, find the link here.
First, let’s cook the pasta. So, bring salted water to a boil and add the pasta.
Meanwhile, we will have prepared our béchamel without butter.
Drain the pasta slightly al dente. In the pot, add the pasta, the béchamel, the provola in cubes, and the cooked ham in strips.
Give it a good stir and pour into an oven-safe dish (or Pyrex glass dish).
Sprinkle with a nice mix of breadcrumbs and grated parmesan.
You can bake it in the oven or in the microwave:
– In the oven: 350°F in a static oven for about 20 minutes, turning on the grill for the last 5 minutes
– In the microwave: crisp mode for 10 minutes.
Let it rest for a few minutes after cooking and it’s ready
Tips and Storage
This is obviously one of those classic dishes that you can prepare in advance. Great for picnics, lunches, and dinners.
You can substitute the ham with whatever you prefer, you can choose pancetta, mortadella, salami, or make the dish vegetarian by adding instead sautéed zucchini cubes, eggplants, or mushrooms.
It keeps in an airtight container for 2 days, freezing is not recommended.
