Penne Pasta alla Valdostana

4.96 from 22 votes

This deliciously rich cheesy pasta dish can also be baked and is very quick and easy to make

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Aosta Valley, Italian, Northern Italy

Keyword: Aosta Valley, authentic Italian pasta recipe, fontina, ham, penne, valdostana

Servings:

Calories: 869kcal

Author: Jacqui

Put a pan of water on to boil for the pasta and, as soon as it boils, add salt and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta a little less than al dente according to the instructions on the packet.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Slowly melt the butter In a frying pan or skillet and then add the pieces of fontina.
Add the cream and stir until the cheese melts.
Cut the ham into thin strips or small cubes
Add the ham to the pan with the fontina and cream and stir. Add salt and pepper, stir again and then turn off the heat.
Drain the pasta and add it to the pan where the sauce is prepared. Mix everything together well for a few seconds over a high heat .
Serve immediately with grated Parmigiano as required or transfer to a buttered oven dish, sprinkle with Parmesan and a few pieces of butter and bake in a preheated oven at 180°c until the top starts to crisp.

I made this recipe with penne but most types of short pasta would work well, so you can also use rigatoni, elicoidale, radiator or farfalle etc.

Of course, it’s best to use Fontina cheese but if you can’t find it, Gruyère, provolone, Gouda, or Emmental can be used instead.