8 oz pasta; traditionally bucatini pasta broken into short pieces (see Note #1)
4 oz (or more to taste) Parmesan cheese
4 oz (or so) prosciutto cotto (cooked/boiled ham), cubed
2 oz frozen petite peas
Salt/pepper
¾ cup flour
Salt
Flour
Panko breadcrumbs
High temperature frying oil (peanut, corn, sunflower, grapes eed, etc).
Steps
, make the besciamella sauce using the quantities shown. There are thousands of recipes online for this classic “mother sauce,” but here’s an easy one to follow: Basic Béchamel Sauce. You can make it ahead of time—there’s no need to keep it warm.
Cook the pasta until quite al dente—about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and place it in a large bowl. Add the cubed ham, peas, Parmesan cheese, and besciamella sauce. Gently mix until evenly combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more Parmesan, salt, and pepper as needed, mixing carefully so you don’t crush the pasta.
Select a baking dish deep enough to hold the pasta at about a 1-inch depth. Line the dish with parchment paper. Fill it with the pasta mixture and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Cover with plastic wrap, gently pressing it onto the pasta. Refrigerate overnight.
The next day, remove the chilled pasta from the refrigerator and cut out circles in your desired size. I used a 2½-inch ring mold, but you can make them smaller if you like. A Ball jar or water glass works well as a substitute for a ring mold. Place each puck on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
In a wide bowl (large enough to dip the pucks), combine the flour with a pinch of salt. Gradually add water while whisking until fully incorporated. Continue adding water until you have a smooth, fairly runny batter.
Set out a plate of panko breadcrumbs. Dip each puck into the batter, coating both sides and the edges. Then place it in the panko, pressing gently to coat all over. Return the coated pucks to the sheet pan.
struction-step-7">Cooking
- Cooking
- Serve hot or at room temperature. They can also be reheated in the oven.
