Notes: This is a really tasty meal. Feeds 4. When we make it for 2, we use half the pasta and tomatoes, but leave everything else the same.
Ingredients
- 400g/14oz tagliatelle or penne pasta (we use penne)
- 25g/1oz butter
- 100g/4oz white button mushrooms, sliced
- 142ml carton of whipping or double cream
- 100g/4oz ham, cut into chunky strips (we use considerably more!)
- 85g/3oz gruyère or emmental cheese (we use gruyère)
- 250g pack of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 50g/2oz parmesan cheese (we don't bother with this, adding extra gruyère instead)
- olive oil for brushing
Method
- preheat oven to 190°C/Gas 5/fan oven 170°C.
- brush the inside of a shallow 1.2 litre (2 pint) ovenproof dish with olive oil.
- cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
- meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the mushrooms gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- pour in the cream and bring to the boil, stirring, then remove from the heat and add the ham and about two-thirds of the gruyère/emmental cheese. Season and mix well.
- when the pasta is cooked, drain it and mix it in with the sauce.
- spread the mixture into the oiled dish, and top with tomatoes, cut side up. (If there are enough, we tend to cover the whole top with tomatoes.)
- sprinkle with the remaining gruyère/emmental cheese (and the parmesan, if you are using it).
- bake for 20 minutes.