Cheesy rigatoni pasta bake is an all-time favorite for almost every person I know! It is easy to understand why. Who can resist to melted cheese? Sweet, chewy, gooey melted cheese? No one! No one I know at least, especially when pasta is involved too. There is no better companion to melted cheese than pasta. The combination is absolutely irresistible and so is this cheesy rigatoni pasta bake. Absolutely irresistible!
Rigatoni is a short type of pasta and it is my choice for this food but feel free to use any kind of pasta you like as long as it is short type. I don’t think spaghetti would be appropriate for this cooking. I can say the same about the cheeses. I use a mix of Regato and Gouda. I like Regato because is a bit salty and because of its nutty flavor and Gouda because it is sweet, buttery and melts wonderfully, but if there is some leftover cheese in your fridge and you think it will be ok, you can use it too.
The preparation is ridiculously easy! No more than 20 minutes and the most of it is for cooking rigatoni. The rest is 5 minutes tops. In a baking dish arrange rigatoni, cheeses and ham in two layers each , drizzle the heavy cream over and bake. Heat will make its magic and will convert these simple ingredients to an incredibly tasty food.
It is a quick solution when friends are coming over unexpectedly or for family dinners or even when only comfort food will make you feel better after a difficult day!
Enjoy!!!
Cheesy Rigatoni Pasta Bake
(5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...Ingredients
- 500 gr rigatoni pasta, uncooked
- 450 gr Regato cheese, grated
- 300 gr Gouda cheese, grated
- 150 gr ham slices, chopped (about 1,5x1,5 cm pieces)
- 250 ml heavy cream
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions (don't forget the salt) and drain.
Toss with a little olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking together.
In a big bowl mix the two types of cheese until well combined.
Arrange half of the cooked pasta to the bottom of a 25x35 cm baking dish.
Add half of the chopped ham over the pasta as evenly as possible.
Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the ham.
Continue with another layer of pasta, ham and cheese.
Pour the heavy cream over the cheese trying to cover the whole surface.
Bake at 180°C in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until golden brown.
