proscuitto & fontina sachetti

A local gourmet food market called "Angelo and Josephine's" sell a wide array of food items, particularly Italian ones that are otherwise tricky to find (e.g., tubes of anchony paste). They also sell a range of incredible handmade pastas that are wonderful to have in for an occasional treat and keep nicely in the freezer.

The other day I picked up some crab ravioli and some proscuitto and fontina filled sachetti, little pasta bundles shaped like drawstring sacks. We've not tried the ravioli yet, but last night for dinner I prepared the sachetti, which were wonderful.

I wasn't sure what to do for a sauce, but I wanted to keep it fairly light and not too flavorful, lest I overpower the flavor of the procsuitto and fontina filling. So I decided on a tomato-sherry cream sauce:

1 finely diced shallot
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sherry (I used a nice amontillado)
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup whole milk or light cream
1/4 - 1/3 cup crushed tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
a pinch of oregano

Saute the shallot in one tablespoon of the butter until translucent and just beginning to brown. Deglaze the pan with the sherry (which will likely catch fire, so stand clear). Melt the other tablespoon of butter in the microwave and add the flour, making a roux. Add the roux to the shallots and sherry, whisking it in. Pour in the milk or cream and heat until bubbling and slightly thickened. Add more if it seems to thick, though the tomatoes will thin it slightly. Add the crushed tomatoes and seasonings to taste and serve over the cooked pasta.