smoky penne and cheese with ham and kale

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1/4 cup canola oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 4 ounces shredded smoked gouda cheese
• 4 ounces shredded gruyere cheese
• 1 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, crushed, or more to taste
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 8 ounces kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 8 ounces turkey ham, diced, or more to taste

Recipe

Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ready Time: 1 hr 25 mins


• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c). grease a 9x12-inch baking dish.
• bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. drain and return pasta to pot.
• melt 2 tablespoons oil and butter together in a saucepan over medium heat. whisk flour into hot oil-butter mixture until mixture has a paste-like consistency. cook, whisking constantly, until flour mixture is light golden, about 5 minutes.
• pour milk into flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, whisking thoroughly until mixture is smooth between additions. cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. reduce heat to low.
• mix gouda cheese and gruyere cheese into milk mixture until completely melted; add pecorino romano cheese and stir until melted. stir 1 tablespoon pepper into cheese mixture. remove from heat.
• heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. saute garlic, pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper in hot oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. add kale; saute until tender, about 15 minutes.
• stir cheese sauce, kale, and turkey ham into penne; mix thoroughly. pour into the prepared baking dish.
• bake in the preheated oven until sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.