Low Carb Ham & Swiss Ziti Casserole

This casserole tastes like the ham and swiss sandwich I actually want, just in a pan. I used arrowroot instead of cornstarch and it thickened up the same, no difference I could tell. I do give the spinach one more squeeze than seems necessary.

Made it last night, no changes. Clean bowls all around.

Would heavy cream work instead of milk here, or will it make the sauce too thick to coat the pasta evenly?

I went back for seconds and I never go back for seconds! That sauce is unreal.

Splash of milk when reheating, sauce comes right back. Figured that out on the second batch. Been portioning this on Sundays and it holds through Thursday without the lupini going soft. Still haven’t nailed how dry the spinach needs to be though, mine goes watery when I’m lazy.

Thought pasta bakes were behind me. Apparently not.

Smelled like a real ham casserole out of the oven. I didn’t trust lupini in something baked, figured the smell would give it away. It didn’t.

Honestly shocked the sauce came together so fast, I was sure I’d blow the roux, but it thickened right up once the milk went in. First time with lupini pasta and I was braced for weirdness, but they just absorbed everything and disappeared. Went heavy on the swiss and I’d pull back next time, so four stars until I get the ratio right. Already have a second batch planned.

Anyone else tried pork rind crumble on top? Had a half bag sitting around so I just crushed them over before it went in the oven. Was not prepared for how much it changed things. Sauce stays creamy underneath and then you hit that salty crunch, completely different casserole. Doing this every time now.

My 10-year-old watched me add the spinach and gave me the look, so I was fully prepared for a battle at dinner. She cleaned her bowl without a word. I think the dijon-cream sauce does something to the spinach where it just kind of melts into the whole thing instead of announcing itself. The lupini pasta held up better than I expected too (we’ve had some mushy casserole situations before). My husband’s only note was that he’d want more ham, which, fair, so I’ll probably bump it up a bit next time.

The creamy sauce and ham hit exactly right, but I’d cut the Dijon back by half next time because it’s competing with the swiss instead of backing it up.

Four batches in. This is the casserole I’ve been looking for since going low carb two years ago. The thing that unlocked it: squeezing the spinach completely dry. First two times, the sauce thinned out before I got it to the table and I couldn’t figure out why. Wrung it in a dish towel until nothing came out, and the sauce stayed thick the whole time. That Dijon surprised me. It gives the whole thing this slight sharpness that cuts right through the richness. I make this Sunday nights and it holds through Thursday, which almost never happens with casseroles. 28g of protein per serving on something that tastes like this is still hard to believe.

My son watched me drain the spinach and immediately declared he wasn’t eating it. Then he took one bite and forgot he was supposed to be protesting. The Dijon is doing something sneaky and I’m not mad about it.

My son has a radar for keto swaps and usually calls them out right away. Made this on a Wednesday night, and he was halfway through his portion before he asked what kind of pasta it was. Not ‘is this keto?’ Just curiosity. I told him lupini beans and he shrugged and kept eating. The creamy swiss sauce with the Dijon in it really does carry the whole thing.

The spinach drain step is not optional, learned that the hard way. First time I thought squeezing it over the sink was good enough but the sauce broke and went watery on me. Second batch I pressed it in a clean dish towel until nothing came out and the cream sauce thickened up around the lupini pasta the way it’s supposed to. Also went half swiss half gruyere on that second run and that nuttiness against the dijon is freaking good.