rosemary chicken rigatoni

this is so good

with my love of bechamel sauce, rosemary, and rigatoni

i couldn't help making this

and here it is 

perfect for the coming cold days and nights

and just right for the Christmas season

enjoy!

• Rosemary Chicken Rigatoni*
  
  
  Bechamel sauce:
• 1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces)
• ½ cup and 2 tablespoons all-purposeflour
• 1 quart whole milk, at room temperature
• Pinch fresh nutmeg
• Sea salt and white pepper
• 1 cup grated fontina
  
  
• 1/2 to 1 pound of sliced cooked chicken breast (add as much as you feel) 
• 1 pound dry rigatoni
  
  
  2 sprigs of rosemary minced 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
  
  
  
  
  • Bechamel sauce:
  • In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Always stirring, gradually add the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, ½ cup fontina and season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.
  • In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add the rigatoni and cook for about 5 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander. Return pasta to the pot and pour in bechamel sauce. Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is coated with the sauce. Add the cooked chicken and rosemary. Make sure the chicken and rosemary are evenly coated with sauce. 
  • Into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pour the pasta with cream sauce. Smooth out top and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup fontina. Dot the top with diced butter and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden brown.

*altered from Giada de Laurentis Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce recipe found here