Sicilian Veal Involtini

Several variations of these Sicilian Veal Involtini are served all over Sicily. In place of breadcrumbs, I dredged these in pistachios for a wonderful crunch and nutty flavor!

Sicilian Veal Involtini or rolls, or spiedini. Whichever way you call them, you have to try them!  These little bundles of deliciousness are one of the best things I tasted in Sicily and I finally got around to recreating them in my kitchen.

Most of you are probably familiar with braciole which are similar rolls cooked in tomato sauce. You know what I mean, the typical Sunday lunch sauce with the meatballs, ribs, sausages, and sausages. While I do enjoy braciole in tomato sauce, I love these involtini even more!

So many variations of involtini!

Variations of  Sicilian involtini are served all over Sicily. They can be made with veal, beef or even swordfish. The filling may include prosciutto and pine nuts and they are usually rolled in breadcrumbs. The basic filling includes breadcrumbs made from fresh bread, raisins, garlic, parsley and shredded caciocavallo cheese which is the standard in Sicily.  They are always skewered and either baked or grilled.

I sampled these little involtini encrusted in pistachio nuts instead of breadcrumbs while I was in Capo D’Orlando this summer (you can read about that here). I then proceeded to purchase a bag of chopped pistachios or granella di pistacchio in order to try making this recipe at home. If you purchase whole pistachios I would recommend pulsing them a few times in your food processor. If you over grind them they will turn to pistachio powder.

The pistachios add a nice crunch to the exterior. As for the filling, each time you bite into a piece of raisin you get that delicious unexpected sweetness. This is perfectly balanced with the saltiness of the caciocavallo and the freshness of the parsley.

How to assemble Sicilian Veal Involtini:

They are a bit of an undertaking to make, but well worth the effort. The filling, that I described above, comes together in minutes.

Next, the veal scallopini need to be pounded with a meat mallet until quite thin. Be careful here not to pound the meat so much that it tears or it will be difficult to roll.

I cut each piece of veal into two or three squares, depending on the size of the slices. Each square is approximately ten centimeters long.

When adding the filling, be sure to leave a border around the meat. This will allow you to roll it easily without all the filling oozing out. Then tuck in the ends, skewer and dredge in the pistachio coating.

How to serve Sicilian Veal Involtini:

• Sicilian Veal Involtini can be excellent served as an appetizer or main dish.
• Calculate four or five per person as a main dish.
• You can also prep them the day before serving.  Bake right before serving.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do, and if you do please tag me with #mangiabedda with your photos on Instagram.  Also, feel free to share the recipe by clicking on the social media buttons at the end of this recipe.  Buon appetito!