Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Italian Comfort Food

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (281)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(281)

Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
6 servings

Times:

Prep: 25 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 30 min
Total:: 55 min

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Ingredients

Bechamel sauce:

1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces)
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart whole milk, at room temperature
Pinch fresh nutmeg
Sea salt and white pepper
1 cup grated fontina
1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned
1 pound dry rigatoni
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Bechamel sauce:

In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Always stirring, gradually add the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup fontina, prosciutto and season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add the rigatoni and cook for about 5 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander. Return pasta to the pot and pour in bechamel sauce. Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.

Into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pour the pasta with cream sauce. Smooth out top and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup fontina. Dot the top with diced butter and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden brown.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce
Diane Oak Ridge, TN 11-01-2009
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Dinner Guest Meal
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this for dinner guests and it was a hit. Very easy to make so I did not spend all my time in the kitchen and very... tasty too! I havemade this a few times now and it always delivers.Read more
recipe Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce
Shehana Shoreline, WA 09-18-2009
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I just made this
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

along with some halibut stuffed with dungeness crab, herbs and cheese. The pasta was one of the worst Giada recipes I've... made. It tasted like flour, milk, and nutmeg. Big disappointment. One reason may be that I didn't use prosciutto. Whatever the reason, I definitely won't make again. I can use that expensive fontina cheese for something else.Read more
recipe Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce
Tonya Ephrata, WA 09-06-2009
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Kicked up mac and cheese!!! can't get better than that
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

For those of you that like a bit more flavor, I have made this recipe more times than I can acount (with rave reviews), I... have started to substitute some smoked fontina mixed in with the regular. This takes if over the top! Read more
recipe Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce
Christina Vienna, VA 08-03-2009
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Bland
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

I made this recipe for the first time to day. I usually love Giada's recipes and generally do well substituting ham products... in her recipes for beef or lamb. This time it DID NOT work. I browned ground beef with some onion and garlic and then added it to the pasta/bechamel mixture. Unfortunately, when it came out of the oven It tasted like I dumped rigatoni into milk and served it. All this despite adding some fresh basil and oregano as well as onions and garlic to the mix. If I make this again I will add a lot more salt and pepper as well as more herbs and lots of garlic.Read more
recipe Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce
Laura waukesha, WI 05-20-2009
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Carbs-galore
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

This is a good recipe, but I think it was really starchy and not as flavorful as I thought it would be. I did cook it as... instructed. Usually Giada's recipes are an A+, but this one fell short. I think it needed some greens for an extra punch. It seemed too bland even with the yummy proscuitto in it. Read more
recipe Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce
Ginny Wellington, FL 04-29-2009
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Best Bechamel Sauce My Family Loved It"
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

My family loved this baked rigatoni and bechamel sauce it had a smooth and creamy texture and the taste was great.