Baked Three-Cheese Pasta with Parsley Pesto

Ingredients

12 ounces cavatappi
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk, heated
fine sea salt
freshly ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1 cup grated Fontina
1 cup grated Gruyère
1 cup grated Parmesan plus 1/4 cup for topping
1/4 cup parsley pesto (recipe follows)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook cavatappi according to package directions in liberally salted water.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thick roux forms, about 2 minutes. Whisk in hot milk and cook, constantly whisking, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix in cheeses and pesto. Combine with cooked pasta.

Spread mixture in a 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Melt remaining butter and drizzle over top. Bake for 30 minutes until bubbling. To brown top, set under broiler for no more than 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley. Yield: 6 servings.

Directions for Parsley Pesto

1 bunch parsley, stems removed
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup olive oil
coarse sea salt

Add parsley and walnuts to a food processor and pulse until thoroughly combined. Drizzle in oil and process until smooth. Season with salt. Leftover pesto can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or frozen in a resealable plastic bag. Yield: 1 cup.