Lunch: Creamy Spring Pasta Bake (Julia's Pasta Bake) Recipe | MyRecipes

Creamy and springy, Julia's Pasta Bake is a brunch favorite! Make-ahead: prepare the first two steps in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake. Prepare topping and bake until golden.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (4 oz.) salted butter
1/2 cup (2 oz.) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups whole milk
1 (16-oz.) block Swiss cheese, shredded
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded (about 2/3 cup)
1 (16-oz.) pkg. farfalle (bow-tie pasta), prepared according to pkg. directions
1 (12-oz.) pkg. cubed boneless ham (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen baby sweet peas, thawed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium. Gradually whisk in flour until smooth; cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Whisk in dry mustard, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Gradually whisk in half-and-half and milk; cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.
Whisk in Swiss cheese and 2 oz. Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat. Stir in pasta, ham, and peas. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
Prepare Topping: Process croutons and 2 oz. Parmesan cheese in a food processor until finely ground. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter, and process until combined. Sprinkle over pasta mixture.
Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

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