Penne with Mushrooms and Prosciutto
( YIELD: 4 to 6 )

I N G R E D I E N T S
Unsalted butter	4 tbsp
Flour	1 tbsp
Chicken broth	1 cup
Salt - Black Pepper	To taste
Freshly milled black pepper	One half tsp
Freshly grated nutmeg	One half tsp
Olive oil	2 tbsp
Thinly sliced scallions	1 cup
Thinly sliced prosciutto- diced	4 ounces
Thinly sliced- trimmed mushrooms	1 lb
Decceco penne pasta	1 lb
Freshly grated Parmigiano cheese	Half a cup
Minced parsley leaves	2 tbsp

1	In a 1 and one half quart saucepan- melt 1 tbsp butter over low heat. When butter begins to froth- add the flour. Mix well with a wire whisk and cook over medium heat- stirring constantly- until lightly golden. Add chicken broth- 1-2 tsp salt- 1-2 tsp pepper and nutmeg. Turn heat to low and cook- whisking constantly- until slightly thickened- about 2 minutes. Cover saucepan and set white sauce aside.
2	In a large saute pan- heat olive oil over medium heat until haze forms- then add 2 tbsp butter. Add scallions and cook- stirring constantly- until barely tender- about 1 minute. Stir in prosciutto and cook- stirring- until softened but not brown- about 1 minute. Add mushrooms- turn heat to medium-high and cook- stirring- until mushrroms just begin to exude their juices- about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Pour white sauce over mushroom mixture and blend well. Turn heat to low and cook- stirring- until mixture is well incorporated- about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
3	Cook pasta in 6 quarts boiling water with 1 tbsp salt until al dente. Drain in a colander- transfer to a bowl containing 1 tbsp softened butter and toss quickly. Mix three fourths of the sauce and Parmigiano cheese with pasta. Spoon remaining sauce over pasta and garnish with minced parsley. Serve with additional freshly grated Parmigiano cheese.