Cheese Pasta Roll with Tomato Sauce
Submitted by bassho
Elegant Italian pasta rolls stuffed with three cheeses, smoked ham, and prosciutto, poached in chicken broth and served over fresh tomato sauce. A masterchef-worthy showpiece.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
60 minCOOK
60 minREADY
4 hrsThis is the dish you bring out when you really want to impress.
Spinach lasagna sheets get spread with a silky filling of cream cheese, ricotta, and Parmesan mixed with smoked ham and scallions. A layer of sliced prosciutto goes on top before you roll the whole thing up tight.
Wrapped in cheesecloth and gently poached in chicken broth, these rolls cook into something incredibly tender and refined.
Slice them into pinwheels, lay them over a pool of fresh tomato sauce made with shallots and bouquet garni, and scatter chopped chives on top.
It takes some time, but every step is straightforward. The filling can even be made a day ahead.
Chef Tips
- Roll tightly so poaching liquid doesn’t seep into the filling
- The filling needs 2 to 3 hours in the fridge to firm up before spreading, so plan accordingly
- Blanch and peel fresh tomatoes for the sauce by dropping them in boiling water, then shocking in ice water
- These rolls are equally stunning served warm or at room temperature, making them ideal for dinner parties
Variations
- Skip the ham and prosciutto for a vegetarian version with sautéed spinach and mushrooms in the filling
- Swap the tomato sauce for a brown butter and sage drizzle
- Use regular lasagna sheets if you can’t find spinach pasta
Ingredients
Directions
Bouquet garni is a cheesecloth bag (or some other porous material) in which you’ve put some rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and crushed peppercorns.
There is no rule for how much of each you’d use.
Tomato Sauce: To prepare the tomatoes, drop them briefly into boiling water, then remove and plunge them into cold water and peel.
Remove the seeds and chop the tomatoes.
Melt butter in a sauté pan and add minced shallots.
Saute, covered, for 5 minutes over low heat.
Add tomatoes and bouquet garni.
Season to taste.
Cook covered over medium heat for 30 minutes.
Remove shallots and bouquet garni, then puree.
Reserve sauce.
Pasta Roll: In a sauté pan, melt the butter and add the diced ham and scallions.
Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes until scallions are soft.
Beat the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, Ricotta cheese, and pepper together until smooth.
Add the sautéed ham and scallions to the cheese mixture; then add eggs, and mix well.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 to 3 hours.
Spread half of the filling on one of the pasta sheets - leaving a half-inch border around the edges.
Brush the border with a little melted butter.
Place a layer of sliced Prosciutto to cover the filling mixture then beginning at one of the short ends of the pasta, roll it up.
Do not roll too loosely or the poaching liquid may seep into the cheese/meat mixture.
Wrap roll in a double thickness of cheesecloth and tie each end securely with string.
Repeat for second pasta sheet.
Fill a large sauté pan with chicken stock.
Bring the stock to a boil and add pasta rolls.
Reduce the heat to simmer and cook gently, turning occasionally, for 25 minutes.
Drain and cool before removing string and cheesecloth.
Cut each roll in half-inch thick slices.
Pour some of the tomato sauce into a pool on the bottom of individual serving plates and arrange the slices on the plates.
Garnish with chopped chives.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
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