Italian Beef Roll Ups or also known as Involtini are a quick and easy main dish recipe that looks fancy enough for a special get together or perfect for a family dinner idea.
This is one of those Italian Main Dishes or Secondo Piatto that is not only easy and delicious but also looks extra special! Other favorites include Italian meatloaf, a delicious Tomato cheese pie and one of our favorites Baked chicken parmesan!
My years of motherhood and mixing the Italian with the English languages always confused my poor kids. I think the Italian just pretended not to notice or decided it was the fault of his mother’s “Ciociaro dialect” that helped teach me my Italian!
When my eldest daughter moved to Canada and started telling friends and family that she had to go grocery shopping for Salad instead of Lettuce, and laughingly told me “Ma, it’s called Lettuce not Salad! In my defence it’s called insalata in Italian.
And of course my confusion with “Involtini” and “Saltimbocca“. On her return home she declared can you make me Saltimbocca, which I made and served the day after, much to her dismay when she in fact wanted Involtini!
“Well that’s what you asked for”, “yeah but you always called them Involtini”. And there you have it! My poor confused kids.
Recipe Ingredients
- Beef – or veal thinly cut
- Prosciutto – cooked ham or prosciutto di Parma
- Oregano or thyme
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cheese – fontina, firm mozzarella or Swiss cheese
- Flour
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Rosemary – fresh rosemary
- Broth – vegetable or beef broth, homemade or store bought
- 4-8 toothpicks
How To Make Homemade Broth
In a large pot add a carrot and an onion peeled and cut in half, a celery stalk cut in two, a bay leaf, 2-3 pepper corns, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt and 12 cups of water. If you want to make a beef broth then add a few pieces of meat (bone in is a good idea).
Bring it to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for about three hours. Stir occasionally and remove any foam that appears on the top of the broth. Pour the broth through a sieve, place it back in the pot, bring to a boil and cook the pasta or cook the pasta in water and instead of adding water to the bowls add broth.
Any unused broth can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days. It can also be frozen in freezer safe containers and will keep for up to 6 months.
How To Make Involtini
On a clean chopping board place 1 slice of beef or veal, pound the meat.
Sprinkle with a little oregano or thyme, top with a slice of ham or prosciutto* and top with cheese slices.
Fold the long edges over the filling then roll up the meat. Secure with a toothpick or two.
On a small plate add the flour, dredge the rollups well in the flour one at a time.
In a medium / large frying pan add the butter, oil and rosemary heat on medium until the butter has melted, then add the rollups, sprinkle a little salt* and pepper on each rollup, brown lightly on both sides, add the broth, cover and cook. Serve immediately.
Variations & Substitutions
The traditional stuffing for an Involtini is a slice of Prosciutto, I usually use thin slices of baked ham instead or you could use Speck which is a smoked prosciutto. Some omit the cheese and add 2-3 leaves of sage or some chopped Arugula, Italian parsley or even spinach leaves. Because Prosciutto is quite salty on its own, there is no need to salt the meat.
What to serve with Beef Rolls
I love to serve these with some roasted rosemary potatoes, a delicious green bean toss a simple salad or even Italian roasted vegetables.
How To Store The Beef Rollups
Store any leftover rollups in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen, freeze in a freezer bag or container. They will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, thaw the involtini then heat lightly on the stovetop or in the microwave until just warm.
More Beef Recipes To Try
So if you are looking for a simple impressive Dinner Idea, then these Involitin / Italian Beef Roll Ups are a good idea. Buon Appetito!
- 4 thin large slices of veal or beef top round (thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon oregano or thyme
- 4 slices of cooked ham or Prosciutto di Parma*
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 dashes black pepper
- 24 strips cheese fontina, firm mozzarella or Swiss cheese
- ¼-½ cup flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary chopped
- ½ cup beef or vegetable broth
- 4-8 toothpicks
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On a clean chopping board place 1 slice of beef or veal, pound the meat, sprinkle with a little oregano or thyme, top with a slice of ham or prosciutto* and top with 4-5 cheese strips.
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Fold the edges over the filling like an envelope (see photos) then roll up the meat. Secure with a toothpick or two.
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On a small plate add the flour, dredge the rollups well in the flour one at a time.
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In a medium / large frying pan add the butter, oil and rosemary heat on medium until the butter has melted, then add the rollups, sprinkle a little salt* and pepper on each rollup, brown lightly on both sides approximately two minutes on each side, add the broth, cover and cook 5-6 minutes. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
*If you use prosciutto then I would omit the salt or use very little.
Store any leftover rollups in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen, freeze in a freezer bag or container. They will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, thaw the involtini then heat lightly on the stovetop or in the microwave until just warm.
Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 89mg | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Updated from December 8, 2013.