Grandma’s Mac and Cheese with Ham

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 2.5 liter casserole dish with olive oil; set aside.
2. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, until soft but with a slightly firm bite (al dente according to package instructions). Then drain pasta; set aside.

For the sauce:
3. Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
4. Stir in the flour, dry mustard, and salt. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Whisk in the milk, until smooth. Cook and stir until sauce begins to thicken. (About 5 minutes). This is the base white sauce, or roux.
6. Add the Italian cheese and Parmesan to the roux, stirring until cheese has completely melted.
7. Continue stirring and cook until sauce has thickened.
8. Mix the cooked pasta and ham into the cheese sauce.
9. Pour pasta mixture into the prepared dish, and level with a spoon.

For the topping:
10. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a small bowl in the microwave for just a few seconds.
11. Add the breadcrumbs and parmesan to the melted butter and mix with a fork until combined.
12. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over the pasta mixture.
13. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.