Involtini alla Romana
Involtini alla Romana are a traditional dish from Lazio made of thin slices of veal or beef stuffed with prosciutto, carrots, and celery, then rolled and cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce.
These little Roman-style rolls are perhaps one of the most widespread and typical Roman dishes in many households where slow-cooking is still a thing (unfortunately, less and less often).
The smell those involtini alla Romana release while cooking is unmistakable, and when walking around Rome, you can still catch a whiff in the stairwells or courtyards of homes and say mmm oggi involtini!.
The ingredients are very simple and easy to find. You can choose between veal or beef, a good tomato passata, and an excellent quality of extra virgin olive oil.
Step by Step Recipe for Involtini alla Romana
Let’s start with the veggies. Peel the carrots first and then string the celery (just snap one end and pull those tough fibers right off).
Then, just slice everything into little sticks, small enough to snugly roll inside a slice of meat.
Now for the meat. I use thin slices of beef or veal, but if they’re a bit thick, no worries! Just lay one between two sheets of parchment paper and give it a few gentle whacks with a meat mallet (or a rolling pin if you’re like me and forget where the mallet went). You want it thin but not torn.
Lay the beef out on your cutting board. Add a slice of prosciutto crudo (you can also use salami, mortadella, or ham) and then place a few veggie sticks right in the center.
Sprinkle just a pinch of salt and pepper (go easy on the salt because the prosciutto is already salty), then roll it up like a little burrito and secure it with a toothpick. Done!
Keep going until you’ve used all the meat and vegetables.
Time to cook. In a large braising pan (or a big skillet with a lid), pour in a good glug of olive oil. Once it’s warm, brown your meat rolls on all sides.
Don’t overcrowd the pan, you want that nice golden color, not steaming. This is where the magic starts to happen.
Once the involtini are browned, toss in a chopped onion and let it soften right in the same pan. It’ll pick up all the tasty bits stuck to the bottom so don’t skip this part!
Now pour in the tomato passata (a smooth Italian tomato purée) and season it with salt and pepper. Give everything a quick stir, then add a cup of water and a few torn basil leaves. The sauce will look a little thin now, but don’t worry, it’ll thicken beautifully while it simmers.
Bring the sauce to a gentle bubble, then lower the heat, cover the pan, and let it do its thing for about 45 minutes.
Once the sauce has thickened and the meat is fork-tender, taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Turn off the heat and let the involtini alla Romana rest for about 10 minutes. This helps all those flavors settle in and makes them easier to slice if you’re feeling fancy.
Oh, and don’t forget to remove the toothpicks before serving!
Notes From My Italian Kitchen to Yours
With the sauce from the involtini, you must use a good rustic bread to mop it up, and with the leftovers, you can toss it with pasta the next day! That’s how my husband’s mamma taught me to do it.
Once everything cools down, just pop the meat rolls and sauce into an airtight container and stash it in the fridge. They’ll keep perfectly for up to 3 days, if they last that long!
To reheat, I usually just put the involtini alla Romana back into a pan over low heat with the lid on. Add a splash of water if the sauce looks too thick.
You can also reheat them in the microwave (cover them to avoid tomato splatters!) for about 2-3 minutes, but honestly, stovetop is best if you want them to taste like they just finished simmering.
And yes, these involtini freeze well too! Place them in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the stove. Perfect for lazy days when you want something homemade without lifting a finger.
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Print the recipe
Involtini alla Romana
Ingredients
- 8 cutlets beef or veal (read notes)
- 8 slices prosciutto crudo (or salame, mortadella, etc)
- 2 cups tomato passata
- 1 medium carrots
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 small onion (sliced)
- basil leaves (optional)
- extra virgin olive oil (as needed)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Peel the carrots and remove the strings from the celery stalks, then cut the vegetables into sticks that are small enough to be rolled inside the meat slices.
- Place a slice of meat on your work surface. If it’s too thick, gently pound it between two sheets of parchment paper to thin it out.
- Add a slice of prosciutto crudo and arrange a couple of sticks of celery and carrot. Lightly season with salt and pepper, then roll the meat up to form a roulade and secure it with a toothpick. Repeat until you have 8 pieces.
- Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a braising pan over medium heat. Cook the meat rolls on both sides until they change color and start to brown.
- Add the onion and sauté for a couple of minutes or until translucent.
- Pour in the tomato passata and season with salt and pepper. Stir for one minute, then add one cup of water, some basil leaves, and mix well.
- Bring to a simmer, then cover the pan and set the heat to medium-low.
- Cook for 45 minutes or until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. Adjust the seasonings to taste, then turn off the heat.
- Allow the roulades to rest for 10 minutes, then remove the toothpicks and serve.
Tips & Notes
- In Italy we use a cut of beef called controgirello, you can find this in the U.S. as inside round or top round.
- This recipe keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let them cool, then store in an airtight container.
- They freeze great too! Store in a sealed container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and reheat on the stove when you’re ready to eat.
