Asiago Cremini Pasta Bake with Radicchio

Ingredients

• 1 package shell pasta , 16 ounce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 small red onion , diced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large head radicchio - halved , cored, and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
• 0.25 cups butter
• 0.25 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3 cups grated Asiago cheese
• 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1.5 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese , divided
• 0.5 teaspoons salt
• 0.25 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 0.5 cups panko bread crumbs

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook shell pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until still firm to the bite, about 9 minutes. Drain.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.

3. 3

   Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook and stir until mushrooms have browned and onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add radicchio, garlic, and sage; cook until radicchio has wilted and garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pasta.

4. 4

   Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour; cook until foaming. Pour in milk, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in Asiago cheese, heavy cream, 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until sauce is melted and smooth.

5. 5

   Pour sauce over pasta mixture; stir until thoroughly combined. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and panko.

6. 6

   Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Broil until topping is golden brown, about 1 minute.