Pasta alla Valdostana
If you want a change from the ham bun leftovers, do try this creamy recipe from the Northern Italian Aosta Valley; nestled just below Mont Blanc near France and Switzerland. Cheese from “Valle d’Aosta” is also known as Fontina.
Fontina is a DOP cheese is made only with milk from the Aosta Valley herds and its taste can be sweeter or savoury, depending on the seasoning used. Fontina is popular and several other countries now produce it, but use a good Italian Valle d’Aosta cheese in this recipe.
If you’ve ever had fondue in Italy there is a good chance you had Valle d’Aosta Fontina.
Pasta alla Valdostana
If you love alfredo this is a sure thing. Cubes of Fontina are melted with cream, and then tossed with ham and pasta! Simple recipes shine when using the best ingredients. Cheese, cream and Baked Bone in Ham. This comes together in a flash so have the pasta water started.
Ingredients
- 5 oz. (150 gr) ham, diced
- 7 oz (200 gr) fontina cheese, diced
- 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
- 2 TBSP Butter
- Salt for pasta
- Parsley to garnish
- 8 oz. (227 gr) dry short pasta
Instructions
- Prepare to cook pasta in salted boiling water. The pasta will take nearly as long to cook as the cheese sauce.
- Melt butter in pan and add diced ham. Brown slightly, turn off heat and set aside.
- Trim cheese of any rind and cube or slice the cheese.
- In another skillet, add cubed cheese and cream. Gently heat until cheese has melted, and cream has thickened.
- Just before serving add the ham and any remaining butter to cream and cheese mixture.
- Drain pasta and add to skillet with cheese and ham.
- Toss and turn off heat. Let rest a couple minutes and serve immediately.
- Garnish with parsley. (We let everyone add their own black pepper.)
Notes
Fontina cheese is very flavourful, and the ham adds the depth. A medium red wine pairs beautifully as compared to a light bodied red when serving Fettucine Alfredo.
If you are looking for a white wine, an Old World Riesling is perfect. But it must be Old World. Pikes Riesling from Australia did not work, even though it was a well aged 2007 bottle.
We’ve paired:
- Valserrano Rioja Crianza 2016
- Sybille Kuntz Kabinett Riesling Trocken 2017
- Fattoria dei Barbi Chianti