Pasta Rosa (prepared by Neil Fusco)

Ingredients:
12 sheets dried lasagna (fresh pasta may be substituted)
½ teaspoon salt (for boiling pasta)
1 lb. prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 lb. fontina cheese, sliced
1 jar 25 oz. Cucina Antica La Vodka Sauce (simmered and warm)
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano Cheese for Topping
Fresh basil for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450oF. Bring 6 quarts of water and ½ teaspoon of salt to a boil in an 8 quart pot. Cook lasagna sheets al dente, about 10 – 12 minutes. Drain most of the hot water and replace with cold water. Let pasta cool to room temperature in the pot of cool water. Take 1 cooled lasagna sheet from pot and drip dry. Lay flat on cutting board. Take 2nd lasagna sheet, drip dry, and place it at the end of the first sheet, overlapping the first sheet by approximately 3” to make one long continuous lasagna sheet. Cover lasagna sheet with one layer of thinly sliced prosciutto. Cover prosciutto layer with one layer of sliced fontina cheese. Starting at one end of the lasagna sheet, tightly roll the lasagna, prosciutto and cheese, and continue rolling until you reach the other end, creating a tube (approximately 2” in diameter by 4” wide). Cut the tube in half to give you 2 pieces (pasta roses) measuring 2” x 2”. Repeat the process until you have 12 cut pasta roses.

Place the pasta roses on a medium sized baking dish with 1/8 inch of water. Leave room in between each pasta rose for even baking. Cover dish with foil and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Spoon a layer of warm Cucina Antica La Vodka Sauce onto plate. Add 3 cooked pasta roses on top of sauce. Lightly top each pasta rose with a dollop of La Vodka Sauce. Sprinkle pecorino Romano cheese on top and garnish with fresh basil leaves.