Penne al Baffo (Creamy Tomato-Ham Pasta)

I’m Anna Gass, and today I’m making penne al baffo. First, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add some olive oil to a large skillet. Add the shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring often until your shallots and garlic soften but aren’t brown. Add the ham, and stir to coat. Add the tomato purée and 1/4 cup of the boiling, salted water from the pot. Season the sauce with salt, increase the heat to medium and bring it to a boil. And then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Drain well. Reduce the heat, and add the cream, the Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir to combine. Add the drained pasta, and toss to coat. Transfer the pasta to a serving dish, and top with more cheese. Hammy, creamy, a little kick from the chili flakes and definitely delicious.