Butter bottom and sides of a 13x9 inch baking pan. Bring 6 quarts of water to a rapid boil. Lightly salt the water, then cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta loses its raw texture but is still slightly firm, remove from heat, drain, rinse under cold water, then drain again. Transfer pasta to a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk, nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Beat with a whisk until well-blended, then stir liquid into pasta. Set aside1/3 cup of the cheddar, then add all other ingredients to pasta and gently stir until evenly combined. Fill baking pan with pasta. Sprinkle on remaining cheddar. If the dish is made more than 1 hour before serving, refrigerate. (All advance preparation steps may be completed up to 8 hours before you begin final cooking). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place baking pan in preheated oven about 4 inches below broiler, and bake uncovered until pasta is thoroughly reheated and cheese sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Turn oven setting to "broil" and cook until top is golden, about 5 minutes. Serve at once.
Typed by Lynn Thomas dcqp82a.
Lynn's notes: I made this on 4-18-97. Substituted penne for the elbow macaroni, Swiss cheese for the gruyere and julienned ham for the prosciutto. Baked it for about 35 minutes and skipped the broiling step. It made 8 servings and was a delicious dish.