Baked Penne with Ham and Broccoli

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper
• 8 ounces penne
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup panko (or other coarse bread crumbs)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups low-fat milk, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar
• 1 cup shredded Gruyère
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 4 ounces ham, cut into strips

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375ºF; grease a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta; cook for 7 minutes. Add broccoli; cook until broccoli is tender, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Pour into casserole.
2. 2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Remove 1 Tbsp. from pan and drizzle over panko in a small bowl. Add flour to pan; whisk until smooth and bubbling, 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Add paprika and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Stir until sauce begins to boil, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. 3. Stir 1 1/2 cups Cheddar and all of Gruyère and Parmesan into sauce until smooth. Stir in ham.
4. 4. Stir sauce into pasta mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar and reserved panko. Bake until top browns and sauce bubbles, about 30 minutes.