Braciole - stuffed beef rolls in tomato sauce

Last time the big guy went out of town he brought back the Sopranos Family Cookbook for me - hey, he went to New Jersey. It's a hilarious read, full of great Italian family recipes that I've been anxious to try, especially this one. 

Also known as "involtini" braciole (pronounced bra'zhul) are thin slices of beef rolled around prosciutto, parsley, and Romano cheese. They're browned and then braised in a tomato sauce for a couple of hours resulting in a very tender beef roll kind of like an Italian style rouladen. Absolutely loaded with flavor they're meant to be served as a second course with pasta cooked and served with the tomato sauce as the first course.

Naturally, we had to push the envelope and be non-traditional so I served the rolls on top of our bowl of pasta and sauce. Of course I also spiced up the tomato sauce by adding red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, oregano and lots more garlic and I cooked my version in the oven rather than on top of the stove. That way I only had to check it every 45 minutes instead of every 10. I'm all about making life easier, never mind the fact our temperature topped out in the low 70's yesterday and the heat from the oven felt darn good.

Dinner was a huge hit with the big guy let me tell you and I can't wait to make these again. In fact, they'd be perfect "company" food and likely even better made in advance and re-warmed. Course next time I might stuff the little bundles with soppressata and provolone and add some roasted red peppers to the sauce just to be different. Then again maybe not because this was downright superb! Decisions, decisions. Maybe I'll just make both!

Braciole (Involtini) with Tomato Sauce (adapted from The Sopranos Family Cookbook)

4 thin slices boneless beef top round (about 1 pound)

Garlic powder

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons freshly grated Romano cheese

1/4 cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 cup dry red wine

1 – 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 cup (or more) beef stock

4 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

1 pound ziti cooked per package directions

Pound each beef slice between two layers of plastic wrap until about a quarter inch thickness. Sprinkle slices with garlic powder, salt, black pepper and chopped parsley. Top with prosciutto and dust with grated Romano cheese. Roll up each piece up like a sausage and tie with kitchen twine or skewer closed with toothpicks. Coat all sides of beef rolls with flour and shake off excess.

Preheat oven to 325. Heat oil in pot or Dutch oven over medium high and brown beef rolls on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside. Add onion, garlic, pepper flakes, oregano and Italian seasoning to pot and cook until onion is soft, stirring often. Add red wine and cook for 2 minutes stirring pot to loosen brown bits on bottom. Return beef rolls to pot, add crushed tomatoes and beef stock. Top with basil leaves, cover and cook 325 oven for 2 hours. Check pot every 45 minutes and add more beef stock if sauce becomes too thick. Check sauce for seasoning and add salt as necessary. Serve sauce over hot cooked ziti as a first course, followed by the braciole or alternatively, remove toothpicks or string from rolls, slice rolls in half and serve on top of ziti with sauce.  Makes 4 servings. Download Braciole (Involtini) with Tomato Sauce

Hint - for lower carbs, exchange the pasta for whole grain pasta or noodles or serve it on a bed of steamed cauliflower or grilled eggplant instead
 

Comments

[Nanan]

This looks like excellent fall comfort food - if you like tomatoes and pasta hehehehe.

[June]

Lea - sorry about the tomatoes and pasta ...but we love the stuff!

[Hungry Texan]

June, this looks and sounds delicious! I'm definitely craving some Italian food right now.

[June]

Thank you and you've got me craving some spicy real Texas chili...I'm going to make your recipe for sure! Mine has "gasp" tomatoes in it. LOL

[Mags]

I swear, you always cook the most interesting dishes June. This looks right off an Italian restaurant menu!

[June]

Ah thanks Mags. It's pretty darn tasty stuff.

[Shaun]

I'm so jealous....I've been chasing the Soprano's cookbook for ages, its rare over here so even used ones command big money! I'm desparate to cook a 'sunday gravy', but we cant get the thin slivers of beef here for braciole, I have a decent butchers nearby, what beef would you suggest he use, the 'round' you suggest is not known over here, but top round/sirloin is, would that be the same thing do you think?

[June]

Hi Shaun - What you call top round/sirloin may work but you'll have to adjust the cooking time because it will toughen significantly if over cooked. It's a slightly more tender cut than you need. The sirloin is located on the back of the beef just before the hind end. Check with your butcher for slices of rump (he might know it as rouladen or even "topside"). You're best using a cut from muscles that get a lot of use because the long, slow braising will tenderize the meat. Does that help?

[Shaun]

Topside, yes of course, thats the most common (and cheapest) beef joint here, never buy it usually but that would be perfect thanks.

[June]

Shaun - that's great. Bet I know what you're cookin' this weekend. Let me know how it goes, OK?

[Shaun]

Cooked this today, but did it as a full sunday gravy ala the Sopranos, fugetaboutit! Used the topside slices for the braciole, and chunked the rest up to stew, also put in local chippolatas and some pork ribs....amazing!!! Cant get ziti here so used rigatoni and added sauteed mushrooms to the braciole....oh wow are we all stuffed, sooo good and loads left over. The braciole and topside chunks were melting after 4 hours in the slow cooker, good call JBug! Next time I might throw some oxtail in too!

[June]

So glad you enjoyed it and the addition of chippolatas and ribs sound fabulous. Think I'd prefer the rigatoni over ziti anyway because it would hold more sauce. It'll taste fabulous tomorrow too as the flavors will intensify. Good for you! I'm going to steal your oxtail idea too!

[Shaun]

I may stuff the braciole with a mix of black and white pudding next time too but I dont think you have that over there!

[June]

Shaun, it's certainly not common here but I seem to remember my Mother making black pudding and Big Guy's talking about making some blood sausage. Off the topic, have you ever made rouladen? There's a recipe on this site (beef) and it uses the same topside strips ...it's amazing and a good use of streaky bacon too!

[Shaun]

The big guy is spot on, blood sausage, black pudding, bloody gorgeous, there is an Irish white version too. Looked up rouladen, called beef olives over here, no not made them before but I guess the braciole was the same thing.Our black pudding is flavoured with oatmeal and mild, the spanish version (morcilla) is full of paprika and gorgeous to cook with. The one I use is Irish and we have it as part of the full English breakfast...lol!

[June]

Big Guy will be in hog heaven if he ever gets to try a proper English breakfast.