Slightly spicy pasta casserole with fine vegetables

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g pasta, e.g. penne rigate
• 1 cup of cream (200 g)
• 400 g Gouda, grated
• 200 g ham, raw
• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot(s)
• 1 stalk(s) leek
• 1 tomato(s)
• 2 peppers, green
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 pinch(s) of salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Grease a baking dish with butter or oil. Dice the zucchini, carrot, tomato, leek, green chili peppers, and garlic and place them in a bowl. Then cut the ham into small, approximately 1 cm wide strips. Heat a little oil in a pan or wok. Add the ham. When the ham is lightly golden brown, add the vegetables and sauté until a nice broth forms at the bottom of the wok or pan. Add the cream and about 50 grams of Gouda cheese. Stir everything together until the cream turns a light brown color. Do not let the cheese burn. Simmer slightly to allow the full flavor to develop. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, add the pasta to a pot and cook until it is semi-soft. Now layer a layer of pasta, a layer of sauce, 150 grams of cheese, followed by another layer of pasta, sauce, and 200 grams of cheese. Place in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes.