Baked pasta casserole

A creamy baked pasta casserole layered with ham and cheese in an egg-cream custard — easy, golden and made for sharing.

Ingredients

• pasta350 g
• ham200 g
• cheese150 g
• cream200 ml
• eggs2 pcs
• butter20 g

Method

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet suggests — it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain well and toss with the butter while still hot so it doesn't clump.
2. Prep ham and cheese. Dice or tear the ham into bite-sized pieces and grate or crumble the cheese. Set aside a good handful of cheese to scatter over the top.
3. Make the custard. Whisk the 2 eggs with the cream in a jug until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Combine filling. In a large bowl, mix the buttered pasta with the ham and most of the cheese. Pour over the egg-cream mixture and stir to coat everything evenly.
5. Fill the dish. Tip the mixture into a lightly buttered baking dish and spread it level. Scatter the reserved cheese over the top.
6. Bake until golden. Bake at 180 °C (fan 160 °C) for 30–35 minutes until the top is deep golden and the custard is just set — a gentle shake of the dish should show no wobble in the centre.
7. Rest and serve. Leave the casserole to rest for 5 minutes before cutting; this helps it hold together when you scoop it onto plates.

Safety & hygiene Important

• Egg custard fully cooked. Make sure the egg-cream custard is fully set before serving — there should be no liquid wobble in the centre of the dish. An internal temperature of 75 °C confirms it is safe to eat.