Baked Pasta with Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Prosciutto

When I want a guaranteed excited reaction from Dustin over what I'm serving for dinner, I turn to pasta. He'd be happy with tender noodles bathed in butter alone. But in my opinion, the saucier, the cheesier, the better. Baked until golden and bubbling- you've won me over too. So I chose this pasta to make on Valentine's Day- brimming with mushrooms, thin strands of prosciutto, crushed tomatoes, and a white béchamel sauce. Then there's the cheeses- creamy fontina, pungent gorgonzola, and fresh Parmigiano.

You might recall that I used to hate gorgonzola (or any blue cheese for that matter). But I'm thrilled to announce that I've overcome my aversion! I might not be snacking on handfuls of blue cheese, but paired with the right ingredients, I now appreciate it as a integral and delicious part of many dishes. (This  Pear and Prosciutto Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola or this Rainbow Chopped Salad for example.)

This dish can be prepared ahead of time and the stowed in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve it. Just be prepared to increase the baking time if it's going into the oven cold. Next time I might throw in a few more mushrooms (they cook down drastically) and prosciutto. But honestly, this pasta is perfect as is.

Baked Pasta with Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Prosciutto

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
4 oz. prosciutto, thinly sliced and cut into strips (a little more wouldn't hurt)
1 cup Fontina, grated
1 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
1 1/2 cups Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
1 lb. whole wheat pasta (farfalle, penne, etc.- I used gemelli)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer mushroom mixture to a large bowl.

2. In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to create a roux and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stream in the milk, whisking constantly, and bring to a simmer. Simmer, whisking frequently, several minutes until thickened. Pour over the mushroom mixture.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al-dente and drain well. Add the pasta to the mushroom mixture along with the crushed tomatoes, prosciutto, and cheeses (reserving some of each to sprinkle on top). Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

4. Bake pasta in preheated 450 F oven, 20-30 minutes, until the cheese on top is golden and bubbling and the pasta is heated through.

Serves 8-10.

(Adapted from Gourmet)