Uruguayan Pasta With Caruso Sauce

Written by
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes is a freelance writer and recipe developer with a passion for South American food. She wrote a cookbook focusing on the cuisine of Brazil.
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Marian Blazes
Updated 09/04/19
Pasta rigatoni

Bartosz Luczak / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
792 Calories
47g Fat
74g Carbs
21g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 792
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 47g 60%
Saturated Fat 25g 126%
Cholesterol 126mg 42%
Sodium 897mg 39%
Total Carbohydrate 74g 27%
Dietary Fiber 5g 16%
Protein 21g
Calcium 189mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This famous Uruguayan pasta sauce is named after Enrico Caruso, a well-known opera singer who visited Montevideo in the early 20th century. Italian food (especially pasta) is very popular in Uruguay, but Uruguayans like to add their own touch to traditional Italian dishes - like the beef broth to this creamy ham and cheese sauce. The result is delicious and goes well with orecchiette or any medium shell pasta.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound pasta (orecchiette or another shell-like shape)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1/4 pound smoked deli ham (chopped)
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon beef bouillon (about 3 cubes or to taste)
  • 2 cups milk or cream
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Garnish: parsley

Steps to Make It

  1. In a heavy skillet, sauté chopped onion in the olive oil until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

  2. Add sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring, until mushrooms have browned and most of the water is evaporated. Stir in ham and set aside.

  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.

  4. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour. Cook over medium heat until just bubbly.

  5. Add milk slowly to the saucepan, stirring. Add bouillon. Continue to heat milk, stirring with a whisk, until sauce thickens and just starts to come to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses. Stir in sautéed mushrooms and onions.

  6. Drain pasta well. Ladle sauce over pasta and serve.