Cheese Pasta Roll with Tomato Sauce

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.