Veal Cappelletti With Smoked Chicken in Mornay Sauce

For those times when you want something really different and don't mind spending some time in the kitchen. Use fresh pasta sheets instead of making your own dough if you can find it. I love pasta and serve it at least once a week. However, my waistline requires limiting this choice to no more than six times a year due to the fat-laden calories.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 3⁄4 lb  ground veal
• 2  ounces prosciutto, minced
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1⁄4 teaspoon rosemary
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1  egg, slightly beaten

• Basic Dough

• 4  cups semolina flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 4  eggs
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 1⁄3 cup  ice cold water

• Mornay Sauce

• 3  tablespoons butter
• 3  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1⁄4 cups half-and-half cream
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 3  ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1⁄2 lb  smoked chicken, fully cooked and diced
• 6  sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Prepare pasta dough. Sift the flour and salt together. Place into a mixing bowl. Slowly blend in the eggs one at a time. Add the oil and the water slowly until a smooth soft dough is formed.
2. Knead the dough for 15 minutes and then allow to rest for an additional 15 minutes. Roll out the dough. Lightly dust with flour, fold in three and roll out again. Repeat 6 to 8 times. Note: only use enough flour to prevent sticking while rolling.
3. Roll out the dough on floured surface to a smooth sheet about 1/8 inch thick. Cut the dough into 3 inch squares with a scalloped edge pasty cutter. Cover with a damp cloth until required.
4. Heat the oil in a skillet. Fry the veal until completely cooked through. Drain excess oil. Place veal in a large mixing bowl and cool.
5. Blend the prosciutto, cheese, rosemary, pepper and the egg with the veal.
6. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each pasta square. Brush the edges with a little water. Fold into a triangle just over the fillings and press to seal. Leave a border of dough around the filling. Wrap the pasta around your index finger. Seal the two sides with your thumb. Curl the overlapping pasta outward. The result should be a small pasta hat (cappelletti).
7. Start a large kettle of boiling water and begin making the morney sauce.
8. Heat the butter in a sauce pan, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes over low heat. Stir in the chicken broth and half & half. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Stir in the cheese and simmer for 2 more minutes. Heat the remaining butter in a saucepan. Saute the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms, chicken and tomatoes to the sauce and keep warm over very, very low heat.
9. As you're making the sauce and the water begins boiling, add the pasta in batches to keep the water at a steady boil. The pasta will float when it is done; remove pasta to a serving platter or large bowl and continue adding pasta until all the pasta has been cooked. Cover pasta with Mornay Sauce and serve.