Penne al baffo

Method

1. 1 Cut the ham into 5mm thick strips, not thin slices; thicker strips will help maintain the texture in the sauce.
2. 2 Sauté the shallots in butter for 5 minutes, then add the ham and stir for 2 minutes.
3. 3 Add the thick tomato sauce and fry for 3 minutes until the sauce darkens.
4. 4 Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, then pour in the heavy cream and simmer for 3 minutes until it turns into an orange-pink sauce.
5. 5 Boil the noodles for one minute longer than instructed, then transfer them to a pan with 80 ml of the boiling water.
6. 6 Stir for 90 seconds, then turn off the heat and sprinkle with Parmigiano and pepper.