Prosciutto, Spinach and Pasta Casserole

I, for one, am a BIG fan of cooking with Prosciutto! So I was super pleased to stumble upon this little gem! I think I'm going to attempt it tomorrow night...it looks too good to wait!

• 2-2/3  cups  dried bow ties, penne, or ziti (8 ounces)
• 2  medium  onions, cut into thin wedges, or 5 medium leeks, sliced
• 2  cloves  garlic, minced
• 1  tablespoon  butter or margarine
• 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1/2  teaspoon  anise seeds, crushed
• 1-3/4  cups  milk
• 1-1/2  cups  chicken broth
• 1/4  cup  grated Parmesan cheese
• 1  10-ounce  package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 2  ounces  prosciutto, cut into thin bite-size strips
• 1  medium  tomato, seeded and chopped

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain; rinse pasta with cold water. Drain again.
2. In a large saucepan cook onion and garlic, covered, in hot butter about 5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and anise seeds. Add the milk and chicken broth all at once. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Stir in the cooked pasta, spinach, and prosciutto. Spoon the mixture into a 2-quart casserole.
3. Bake, covered, in a 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Let stand about 5 minutes. To serve, stir gently and top with chopped tomato.