Pasta casserole in a creamy Parmesan sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 450 g medium shell pasta
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 170 g pancetta, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups frozen green peas, thawed

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 230°C. Grease a 22x32cm baking pan with butter; set aside.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, transfer the pasta to a large bowl, and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs, olive oil, 1 tablespoon Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; set aside.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to the bowl with the breadcrumb mixture and toss to coat evenly.
5. Heat the rendered pancetta fat in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk and cream, stirring to avoid lumps, and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the green peas, the remaining 2 cups of Parmesan, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
6. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat evenly. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.