Penne Wrapped In Phyllo

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup shallot, finely chopped
• 1 cup penne, cooked al dente
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup fontina cheese, coarsely grated
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 18 asparagus spears, fresh (not canned)
• 15 sheets phyllo pastry, thawed if frozen

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350°f.
• 2 in a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, add the shallots and saute briefly, about 2 minutes. remove from heat.
• 3 in a bowl, add the penne, shallots, ricotta, fontina, parmesan, eggs, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper. combine well.
• 4 in a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter over very low heat. keep warm.
• 5 on a large work surface, place 1 phyllo sheet, short-end close to you, and brush with the melted butter.
• 6 keep remaining phyllo sheets covered with a damp towel while you work.
• 7 top phyllo sheet with another sheet, brushing with melted butter. continue until you have layered 5 sheets of phyllo.
• 8 spoon 1/3 of the pasta mixture along the short end of the layered phyllo closest to you, leaving a 1/2 inch border on all sides.
• 9 top pasta with 6 asparagus spears.
• 10 very carefully roll the end of the phyllo closest to you away from you, encasing the penne and asparagus.
• 11 fold in each edge, lengthwise, and continue to roll jellyroll fashion, brushing with a little more butter to make it stick together.
• 12 the pasta roll will be about 10 inches long and about 3 inches wide.
• 13 repeat this procedure with the remaining phyllo and filling until you have 3 phyllo rolls.
• 14 place the phyllo rolls seam-side down on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet.
• 15 with a sharp knife, make slight scores, on the diagonal, into each roll - as you would bread. be careful not to cut too deep or you will have the mixture coming out and it will not look pretty.
• 16 bake for 35-40 minutes or until very golden.
• 17 let sit 15-20 minutes before serving.
• 18 penne wrapped in phyllo freezes beautifully for up to 2 months. if frozen, place into a 325f oven for 50 minutes.