Semolina Pasta with Creamy Pesto and Prosciutto
INGREDIENTS
MAKES FOUR SERVINGS
- 3-4 slices prosciutto
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups whole milk, hot
- 1/2 - 1 cup prepared basil pesto (store-bought or home-made)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (less, if you’re using more pesto)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound Sfoglini Semolina Fusilli or other short cut
DIRECTIONS
For the prosciutto, set an oven rack on the second highest level and turn the broiler on high. Lay the prosciutto on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Fold the prosciutto up every inch or two to resemble ripples. Broil for three minutes, then remove from the oven and flip each slice over. Broil for two more minutes, and remove from the oven when the prosciutto is a dark red color. Let them cool, then chop and set aside.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
To make the bechamel, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until combined. Cook over medium about 2 minutes, until the raw flour smell is gone, then slightly lower the heat and add a splash of the hot milk, whisking immediately. The mixture in the pan will thicken immediately. Continue adding the milk in small increments, whisking each time until the milk is fully blended in with the sauce. Once all the milk has been added, bring the sauce to a simmer for a few minutes taking care that it does not burn, then remove from heat. Stir in the pesto, parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the sauce to your liking by adding more pesto, parmesan, salt or pepper.
Once the sauce is finished and the pasta water boils, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to al dente, according to package instructions. Save about a cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Off heat, return the pasta to the pot. Stir in about two-thirds of the pesto bechamel. Add more pesto bechamel until the pasta is sauced to your liking. The full amount of the sauce will be enough for the whole box of pasta with some leftovers.
Transfer the sauced pasta to a serving bowl and top with the chopped prosciutto. Enjoy!
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Chefs Note: Have remaining creamy pesto sauce? Use it as a sauce for a white pizza and top with mozzarella, fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, and red pepper flakes. You can also reheat the sauce gently over low heat on the stove, stirring regularly, or half power in the microwave, in thirty seconds increments. The warmed sauce makes a delicious dip for crusty bread and crackers, or as a spread for sandwiches.
