Hearty pasta casserole with spinach and ham

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 250 g pasta, short, e.g. penne, rigatoni, etc.
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp oil
• 750 g fresh spinach or 500 g frozen leaf spinach
• 3 tbsp butter
• 500 g cooked ham
• 4 tbsp, heaped Emmental cheese, coarsely grated
• 250 g mascarpone
• 200 g whipped cream
• 1 clove(s) garlic, squeezed
• salt and pepper
• ½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water according to the package instructions. Drain the cooked pasta, rinse under cold water, and let it drain. If necessary, toss with 1 tablespoon of oil to prevent it from sticking together. Wash the fresh spinach and add it, dripping wet, to the butter melted in a saucepan. Cover the pan and steam the spinach for a few minutes. If using frozen spinach, thaw it first, squeeze out the excess water, and also steam it in butter. Dice the ham. Grease an ovenproof dish well and alternate layers of pasta, ham, and spinach. Then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of Emmental cheese. Bring the mascarpone, cream, garlic, and spices to a boil in a saucepan on the stovetop and pour over the casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining Emmental cheese. Bake the casserole on the lowest rack in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for about 20 minutes.