Penne with Parmesan, Cream and Prosciutto

The holidays have been fun. I've enjoyed preparing big spreads and cooking things I don't usually take the time to do, but now it's time to get back to normal. Normal includes daily menu preparation and cooking of healthful meals that don't take too long make and taste good enough that most of the five of us will eat and enjoy them.

Gourmet magazine would not usually be my first choice when looking for places to find recipes that meet my everyday criteria, but oddly enough, the "Gourmet Every Day" section is a great resource and I would be wise to consult it more often. I found this recipe in the December 2006 issue and it was a big hit all around. My one compromise for the sake of the children was that I didn't keep it under the broiler long enough for it to become really crispy. I would definitely change that if only making it for adults.

2 1/4 cups cream

1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 lb penne pasta

2 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsly chopped

-Put oven rack in top third of oven and preheat oven to 375.

-Cook pasta until al dente, drain, and return to pot.

- While pasta is cooking, bring cream, 1 1/2 cups cheese to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add 3/4 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper. Remove from heat.

-Stir prosciutto and cream sauce into pasta until penne is coated. Transfer to flameproof shallow dish (not glass) and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

-Turn on broiler and broil pasta 4-5 inches from heat until top is lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.