Ham and Swiss Pasta Roll Up Gratin — the name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue but man this goes down easy — paper thin slices of Black Forest ham and Swiss rolled up in fresh pasta sheets and baked into a classic creamy French gratin —Â
This is good old fashioned comfort food. It’s one of those recipes that you know is going to be amazing before you even take it out of the oven. It makes the most luscious dinner for two in a small skillet, but you can double the recipe for a family meal and bake it up in a casserole dish. The whole thing can be assembled early in the day and baked off at dinnertime, so it’s a stress-free deal.
With a simple cast of characters, this dish rewards you with really rich, restaurant style flavor. The heavy cream has something to do with that. Even though I’ve got loads of delicious PASTA RECIPESÂ on my blog, I’ve never done anything quite like this, and I’m so pleased with how it turned out.
Buy a nice ham at your favorite deli counter for this, the flavor really permeates the dish. I chose Black Forest, and I ask for it sliced extra thin. I used ultra thin Swiss cheese, it’s delicate and flexible enough so that everything rolls up nice and tightly. You’ll need to find fresh pasta sheets to do this, but most big grocery stores have them now. Look for them in the refrigerated section where the fresh tortellini and ravioli packages are.
The rolls get sliced and then the spiraled slices get nestled snugly together in a small skillet or dish and baked off with some cream and Parmesan cheese. Everything cooks up to bubbly perfection in 25 minutes, and then I finish it with more cheese and brown it under the broiler.
I think you can probably imagine how it tastes…
This would be a great meal with a nice salad and a glass of wine. Set the pan on the table and serve right from the skillet.
Craving more comfort food? Try my EGGS BENEDICT QUICHE!
This ham and swiss roll up gratin recipe was inspired by an episode of Diners Drive Ins, and Dives…love that show 🙂
Ham and Swiss Pasta Roll Up Gratin
Ingredients
- 5 ounces fresh pasta sheets
- 1/2 pound very thinly sliced Black Forest ham
- 6-7 ounces very thinly sliced Swiss cheese, about 18 slices
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus a little more
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
garnish
- fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Set oven to 375F
- Lay out your pasta sheets. Mine were about 6x14 inches. Lay down a single layer of ham on the bottom, overlap it slightly, and then the cheese on top. You can space out the cheese a little bit. Roll up the sheet of pasta tightly and firmly and then slice it with a sharp knife into one and a quarter inch pieces. Do this with the rest of the pasta, ham, and cheese. You'll need about 12-14 rolls to fit into an 8 inch skillet.
- Coat the bottom of a small 8 inch skillet with a thin layer of cream, and then arrange the rounds, cut side up. Fit them snugly together.
- Whisk the cream and Parmesan cheese and pour evenly over the pasta. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minuted until lightly browned and bubbly.
- Remove the skillet from the oven, top with the remaining cheese, and finish under the broiler until the cheese is melted and browned, just a few minutes, watch carefully.
- Garnish with the fresh thyme and serve immediately.
notes:
- My fresh pasta came in 6×14 inch sheets, and I used 3. If yours comes in larger sheets that’s ok, you can make larger ‘logs’ to slice, or you can cut the pasta down in size before you start.
- I used an 8 inch cast iron skillet, but I think this would work great in individual little baking pans, too.
- I highly recommend the sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves on top. It seems like a little thing but fresh herbs are so potent, and the thyme gives this dish that fresh finish it needs, plus it hammers home the French vibe. So good!
I am hungry and this dish looks exactly like what I would like to eat now. Funny, the Black Forest Ham (Schwarzwälder Schiken) looks different in Germany… but I am sure it would taste just as good with our sort.
It’s funny because now that the warm weather is here I thought all I would eat is salads but last night I made chili! This is another comfort food that I will definitely add to the list. I love your lip-smacking photos, Sue, and I can taste that delicious explosion of flavors with that first bite!
Wow, what a beautiful gratin! Simple and delicious! I love it. Thanks for sharing, Sue:)
What a great idea Sue! This dish looks like the perfect comfort food!
This is looking so yummy and fun to make. Good to be creative in the kitchen to make your 2 year old eat sometimes 😉 xx
What a fun, delicious and amazing dinner! It’s so unique and sounds so… wonderful!
This looks soooo good, I am totally craving it now! You can never go wrong with ham and cheese, especially in pasta form!
This looks so good. Something different and yummy. You are an incredible cook!
Awwww thanks Elaine :))
This looks inviting esp. during the quarantine! Hope my hubby can find the pasta sheets now……he’s doing all the shopping during our down time.?
Will let you know what we think soon as we try this. Love your website and photography. Recipes seems very creative which I admire!?
Thanks Sedona gal ~ we love Sedona, used to visit family there all the time!
You’ve outdone yourself, Sue! This looks incredible!
This is right up my alley! Skillet and comfort food together. Perfection 🙂
Yup, you’re the comfort food/skillet Queen!