Backstage casserole with pasta and ham à la Claus

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 500 g pasta
• 200 g cooked ham
• 200 g cream
• 200 g sour cream
• 200 g processed cheese
• 2 eggs
• ¼ liter of milk
• 1 bag(s) of grated cheese, approx. 200 g
• Oil or butter for the mold
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

Traditional dish for musicians in the backstage

For the pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Pasta experts recommend using 1 liter for 100 grams of dried pasta and never adding oil to the water! When the water is bubbling, cook the pasta until al dente. It’s best to remove each piece with a fork and check that the consistency is right! Then drain the water and add the pasta to the greased casserole dish. Cut the cooked ham into small pieces/strips and fry briefly in a pan with a little oil/butter. Then add the cream, sour cream, and processed cheese, mix well, and season with salt and pepper. For a casserole, the mixture should be firm after baking in the oven. To do this, whisk together the eggs and milk, mix them in a bowl, and then add them to the slightly cooled sauce. But this isn’t necessary! Then mix the sauce with the pasta in the casserole dish and sprinkle with grated cheese. Tip: I usually just serve the pasta in the sauce with cheese. The mixture remains liquid, like a regular pasta sauce. Then bake the casserole in the oven at 200°C (top/bottom heat) for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is light golden brown. Remove the pasta from the oven, let it cool slightly, and serve. Serve with a fresh salad. Tips: You can, of course, use almost any type of cheese for the topping. Italians usually use mozzarella. You can also use fresh cheese; it’s easy to tear apart and then serve. Feta or blue cheese is also delicious. I’ve made various variations; there are almost no limits to your own preferences when choosing the pasta shape and your creativity with the ingredients. For example, you can of course use fresh onions and garlic when sautéing or steaming, or even various fresh vegetables and mushrooms. Canned or frozen vegetables can also be used well. When thinking about the most common pasta sauces, you naturally think of Napoli (with tomatoes and vegetables) or Bolognese (with minced meat). But here, too, you can use tomato paste, tomato puree, or canned peeled tomatoes. Mixing tomatoes with cream/cheese is also delicious. Meat lovers can also use various varieties or types. From pork, beef, gyro, sausage, poultry, or even fish, you can vary it to your taste. Of course, these pasta dishes are also delicious with or without meat substitutes!