Baked Ham Rigatoni

I found this recipe on Mommy's Kitchen's site. (She has some of the most awesome looking recipes!) It looked so good.....and it is! Jimmy and I loved it! It was easy to make. I think it would be good with other types of meat, too. I'll have to experiment. I halved the recipe since it was just Jimmy and I eating it.

Ingredients:

1 pkg (16 oz) rigatoni pasta

1 cube butter (1 oz or 2 tablespoons)

1/2 cup flour

1 quart milk (4 cups)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (separated)

about 1/2 lb. thinly sliced ham

seasonings - onion salt, pepper, cayenne pepper is optional) I used garlic powder, salt and pepper

small pads of butter for top

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter over medium heat and start water boiling for pasta. Once butter is melted, whisk in flour. Add your milk and continue to stir until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

When the water is boiling, add pasta and cook until just past the al-dente stage, just starting to get soft. When the white sauce is done, add your seasonings, ham and one cup of cheese; stir well to get the cheese melted.

Drain your pasta and add to the sauce. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 pan, smooth the top and sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese. Dot the top with your pads of butter and bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is bubbly and brown.