Baked pasta shells with artichokes and Sauris prosciutto

A simple and tasty recipe for a holiday meal with friends or family, when this will be possible. We pair it with a Vivaja 2019, a Badia di Morrona Tuscan Rosé.

Sauris prosciutto is produced in the small town of Sauris in the mountains of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region near the border between Italy and Austria. It is lightly smoked exclusively using beech wood.

Ingredients for 6 people:

400g ribbed pasta shells, 8 artichokes, 1 white garlic clove, 200g Sauris smoked prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano as desired and salt and olive oil as needed.

For the béchamel sauce: 60g butter, 1 liter whole milk, 6 tablespoons flour, nutmeg and salt as needed.

Directions:

Clean the artichokes by eliminating the hard, outside leaves and stripping the filaments from the stems before placing the artichokes in a bowl with water and lemon to keep them from turning black. Cut the artichokes into thin slices and cook them in a broad, covered pan until they become soft. Add some mint leaves at the end.

Boil the pasta in abundant salted water for half the cooking time indicated on their package. Remove the shells with a skimmer and save the water.

In a pan, bring the milk almost to a boil.

Prepare the roux in another pans: melt the butter and add in the flour, allowing it to toast slightly. Add the hot milk a little at a time and stir continuously to cook it into a béchamel sauce. Once done, grate on a little nutmeg and salt to taste.

Cut the prosciutto ham into small pieces and keep on a small plate.

Add a ladle of the pasta water to the béchamel and use a whip to mix into a uniform liquid.  Butter a baking pan with sides and begin to build the dish: first spread some béchamel on the bottom and put the pasta on top. Mix together and then add first the cooked artichokes and then the ham. Cover everything with the remainder of the béchamel sauce.

Sprinkle Parmigiano over everything and on the surface place some knobs of butter. Bake for around 15 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 180°C and then brown for another 5 minutes.

Let the pasta sit for a little while after baking and then serve on flat plates and garnish as desired.

Wine to pair:

(edited by Stefania Vinciguerra)

Tuscan Rosé Vivaja 2019 Badia di Morrona

Light pink, delicate and brilliant. Wide and fresh nose with floral notes and small red fruits in evidenceTo the palate, saltiness and freshness accompany the pleasantly gentle sip.

Production area: Terricciola (PI), on the Pisan hills, an area characterized by the presence of fossils in the soil and by the proximity to the sea.

Grape varietiy: 100% Sangiovese

Wine-making: vinification and aging in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature.

Alcoholic content: 13% vol.

Serving temperature: around 10-12°C.

Suggested food pairings: it is good both as an aperitif and to accompany simple and fresh pasta and fish dishes.

THIS RECIPE IS OFFERED BY BADIA DI MORRONA 

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