Tortiglioni Prosciutto and Spinach al forno

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g leaf spinach, frozen
• 250 g pasta (e.g. tortiglioni)
• 20 g oil or butter (tip: olive oil)
• 1 large onion(s)
• 2 small garlic cloves
• 100 g ham, cooked
• 50 g flour
• 600 ml low-fat milk
• salt and pepper
• Nutmeg, grated
• 100 g cheese, grated (e.g. Edam, Emmental, sheep’s cheese)
• herbs for seasoning, to taste

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Pasta – Ham – Spinach – Gratin

Cook the pasta al dente in 2.5 liters of boiling salted water (not too little salt, about 10 to 15g) according to the manufacturer’s instructions, rinse in cold water in a sieve, and then drain. Meanwhile, thaw the frozen spinach leaves (not creamed spinach!) in the microwave (do not cook). Alternatively, you can use 500g of fresh spinach leaves. Then sort, wash, and blanch them (this is usually too much work for me). For the sauce, peel and finely dice the onion and two garlic cloves. Cut the cooked ham into pieces. Heat the oil in a small, covered saucepan over low heat and sauté the onion and garlic cubes until translucent (about five to ten minutes). Add the ham pieces and fry briefly. Add the flour and heat while stirring until it turns light yellow after a short time. Pour in the milk and whisk thoroughly; Make sure there are no lumps. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly, then let it simmer briefly and remove from the heat. Season generously (!) with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg. The (unseasoned) spinach can handle the spicy sauce, otherwise the whole gratin would be too bland. If desired, refine the sauce with some chives or Italian spices (basil, oregano). Thoroughly mix the pasta, spinach, and sauce and pour into a baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and place the dish on the oven rack. (Aesthetes first fill the casserole dish with about 2/3 of the pasta, spread the spinach and sauce on top, and then cover the casserole with the remaining pasta and, of course, the cheese. I prefer it mixed together, though.) Top/bottom heat: about 200°C (preheated) Fan oven: about 180°C (not preheated) Gas mark: about mark 4 (not preheated) Baking time: about 30 to 40 minutes. The casserole is ready when the cheese has melted and begins to turn a light brown (exception: feta cheese will not melt or only slightly, so just watch for the browning here). Without the ham, this casserole also makes a delicious vegetarian dish!