Involtini al Sugo
Tender beef rolls stuffed with celery, carrot, and cured pancetta, braised slowly in a rich Roman tomato sauce.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Meat mallet
- •Wooden toothpicks
- •Wide heavy-bottomed frying pan
- •Chopping board
- •Tongs
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 28 g
- carbs
- 14 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 38 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Lay the beef slices flat on a chopping board and pound them gently with a meat mallet until evenly thin.
- 2
Season each beef slice with fine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, minced garlic, and chopped flat-leaf parsley.
- 3
Place a baton of celery, a matchstick of carrot, and a strip of pancetta across the wide end of each slice.
- 4
Roll the beef tightly around the vegetable filling into neat parcels and secure each roll firmly with wooden toothpicks.
- 5
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat.
- 6
Add the beef rolls and brown them thoroughly on all sides until nicely caramelised, about five minutes.
- 7
Pour in the dry white wine and let it bubble rapidly until the sharp alcohol scent disappears.
- 8
Pour in the tomato passata, season with a pinch of salt, and stir the sauce gently around the meat.
- 9
Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for forty-five minutes until the beef is fork-tender.
- 10
Remove the toothpicks carefully from the cooked rolls before transferring them to warm plates with plenty of tomato sauce.
Chef's tips
Ask your butcher to slice the beef topside wafer-thin so it rolls smoothly without splitting. Do not omit the celery inside the parcel, as its herbal aroma provides the distinct, authentic Roman flavour profile.
Ingredient substitutions
- pancetta → guanciale (cured pork jowl) or lardo for an even richer flavour
- beef topside → thin veal escalopes (fettine di vitello), reducing the braising time by ten minutes
Storage
Store leftover beef rolls submerged in the tomato sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a lidded saucepan over low heat with a splash of water until the meat is hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rolling the meat too loosely, which lets the filling fall out during searing.
- •Leaving the toothpicks in the beef rolls when serving guests.
- •Boiling the tomato sauce too rapidly, which makes the lean beef tough and dry.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Involtini al Sugo?
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