Gruyere....a fan!

I'm not a big fan of white sauce, but when a friend recently shared this recipe with me...I quickly became a fan.  I had never heard of the cheese...Gruyere.  If there is one thing I have learned lately - I have a lot to learn about all the different cheeses on the market.  When I peruse the shelves in the Sam's Warehouse, I'm always amazed at all the different varieties.  You can usually find American, Mozzarella, Pepper Jack, Baby Swiss and Monterrey Jack - and of course Velveeta in our refrigerator but it would be a surprise to find Gruyere.  I was shocked to see the price of this cheese but it goes along way.  My friend, who is the principal at the elementary school where I teach, shared this recipe with me after the holiday.  Her approach was a recipe to make using left-over ham.  Luckily, I had put some ham in the freezer so I was ready last evening when my husband and I prepared this dish together.  We had leftovers tonight and will have our last chance to enjoy this delicious pasta dish at lunch tomorrow.  We prepared too much pasta during the first batch so tonight we made another pan of sauce to mix with our leftovers.  It was perfect!

Gruyere and Ham Pasta
(SOURCE:  Della Bell)

2 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp each dried thyme and pepper
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups milk
1-1/2cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 package bowtie pasta
2 cups cubed ham
1 small package frozen peas, thawed


 

 Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Whisk in milk; cook, whisking, until thick enough to coat spoon,

 about 7 minutes.

Stir in cheese and mustard; cook, stirring, until melted. 

  Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta
 until tender but firm, about 8 minutes. Drain and return to pot.

Add sauce, peas, and ham and tomatoes; toss to combine.

You can add 2 cups of chopped, fresh spinach and

halved, grape tomatoes in the final step.