Pastiera di spaghetti al forno

This is a lovely dish! So easy to make and yet satisfying, hundred per cent healthy and very good value too! It used to be a dish cooked around Easter time which coincided with the springtime abundance of eggs: the housewives often prepared this dish to use the extra eggs that they had been storing. I only remember to make it when I have some left overs of pasta, but it surely deserves more attention. It is also a very good idea for a picnic.

Ingredients

200gr of spaghetti

6 eggs

300 gr milk

2tbsp parmesan cheese

50 gr Emmenthal cheese

50 gr cooked ham

A drop of oil and breadcrumbs to line the dish

Serves 4

Cook the spaghetti al dente in salted water; drain well and chop them up. Beat the eggs, season with salt and pepper, add the milk (lactose free if you are intolerant) and the parmesan cheese, and salt to taste. Chop the Emmenthal and the cooked ham and add to the pasta. Let stand this mixture for one hour. Line a deep Pyrex dish (diameter ~ 20cm) by smearing on bottom and sides a drop of oil and dusting well with breadcrumbs. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees and cook for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the power of your oven. The top should be golden brown and the ‘pastiera’ well risen. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the dish by turning it upside down on to a warm serving plate. You can eat it warm or cold.