Baked pasta, yes, but "without sauce" and with reinforcement butter: challenging lasagna are the legendary Gratinated Tagliolini with Ham from Cipriani. They seem to have even won over Maria Callas.

Recipe for Cipriani's Gratinated Tagliolini with Ham

Ingredients for 4 people

35 g butter
50 g grated Parmigiano
50 g thinly sliced ham
100 ml béchamel sauce
250 g tagliolini

Method

Boil water in a large pot and add salt. Meanwhile, preheat the grill and place a large pan on the heat to melt 15 g of butter.

Also, add the ham and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring. Boil the pasta in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain it al dente, and pour it into the pan. Combine it with the ham, add 15 g of butter, sprinkle with grated Parmigiano, and give it a stir. Spread the tagliolini evenly in a baking dish and pour the sauce over it; sprinkle with more Parmesan.

At this point, cut the remaining butter into flakes and scatter them over the tagliolini: put everything in the oven on the grill mode and cook until the tagliolini are golden brown and the sauce has formed small bubbles on the surface. Serve immediately and add Parmigiano to taste.

For the béchamel sauce

Melt the butter over low heat, sift in the flour, and mix it with the butter, cooking for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and, while vigorously stirring, add the milk (preferably cold and away from the heat). Once the sauce is combined, return the pan to the heat and cook it over low heat, stirring constantly, until it is thick and without lumps. Use a wooden spoon and be sure to stir the sauce well on the bottom of the pan and on the sides. As soon as the boil is gone, place the pan in a double boiler and let it cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper.