Incredibly delicious Sicilian Beef Involtini filled with toasted breadcrumbs, sundried tomatoes, raisins, pine nuts and cheese. These rolls are lightly coated in fine breadcrumbs and pan-fried until crisp and golden on the outside. Serve them with a simple vegetable side or a fresh salad.
On a recent trip to Sicily I was surrounded by outstanding food: crisp arancini, traditional cannoli made by nuns, golden panelle (chickpea fritters), a Parmigiana di Melanzane I couldn’t stop eating — and several varieties of involtini. At a local butcher’s counter there were many versions; this Palermo-style recipe (Palermitana) and a pistachio-and-mortadella filling were our favourites.
These involtini are thin slices of beef wrapped around a tomato-breadcrumb filling with caciocavallo (or provolone) cheese, raisins, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts. They are threaded onto skewers with fresh bay leaves and onion, then fried until crisp. The bay leaves add a lovely aromatic note.
They’re perfect with roasted or steamed vegetables, green beans or a peppery rocket salad dressed with good olive oil and lemon. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Substitutions are possible: see notes below the ingredient list for alternatives and tips.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Beef – use a trimmed topside/top round, sliced thin and pounded flat. If your butcher can provide pre-sliced thin beef, that saves time (you need about 16 slices).
- Two types of bread – use stale crusty bread blitzed into coarse breadcrumbs for the filling, and very fine store-bought unseasoned breadcrumbs for dusting. The stale bread soaks up flavour well while fine crumbs crisp beautifully.
Step by step photos and instructions
This visual guide matches the full written recipe and tips in the recipe card below.
- Soak the raisins – cover raisins with hot or warm water to plump them up.
- Make breadcrumbs – blitz the bread in a food processor, then toast the crumbs in a dry pan until crisp.
- Sauté the onion – cook finely chopped onion in a little olive oil until soft, add passata, season lightly and remove from heat.
- Make the filling – combine the toasted breadcrumbs with the tomato-onion mixture, chopped sundried tomatoes, pine nuts and cheeses. Drain and squeeze the raisins, add them and mix well.
- Trim and slice the beef – remove any silverskin and cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Pound slices to about half the thickness so each is flexible for rolling.
- Form and roll – shape about 2 tablespoons of filling into a compact croquette, place at the end of a beef slice and roll, tucking the ends in to seal.
- Skewer – thread four involtini per skewer, placing a bay leaf and an onion wedge between each roll.
- Crumb and fry – brush rolls lightly with olive oil and dust with fine breadcrumbs. Fry in a large pan with 2–3 tbsp olive oil: about 4 minutes per side, then brown the ends by holding them on their sides briefly. Serve hot.
- Alternative – to bake: brown involtini 1–2 minutes per side in a pan, then transfer to a baking tray and finish in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes.
Sides to serve with involtini
Roast potatoes and simple green vegetables pair beautifully. For a lighter meal, serve with rocket (arugula) dressed with olive oil, lemon and black pepper. Steamed green beans, broccolini or a fennel-and-orange salad also complement the flavours.
Spiedini means skewers, while involtini refers to small rolled and stuffed bites. Since these involtini are cooked on skewers, you may see either name used for similar recipes.
More Sicilian recipes to try
Sides
Peperoni Ammollicati (Peppers and Breadcrumbs)
Salads
Insalata Pantesca (Sicilian Potato Salad)
Italian Desserts
Pistachio Tiramisu
Sides
Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad
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Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes include step-by-step photos and tips to help you succeed.
Involtini alla Palermitana (Sicilian Beef Involtini)
By Emily
Equipment
- 4 skewers
Ingredients
- 6 slices (2lbs/900g) beef top round or topside (can also use veal)
- 2 white onions — 1 finely chopped and 1 cut into wedges
- 200 g (7oz) bread, sliced (for toasting into breadcrumbs)
- 60 g (2oz) caciocavallo (or provolone), cut into small cubes
- 140 g (1/2 cup) passata (tomato puree)
- 40 g (1/2 cup) finely grated pecorino
- 30 g (1/4 cup) raisins, soaked in hot/warm water
- 30 g (3 tbsp) pine nuts
- 50 g sundried tomatoes, about 5–6, cut into strips
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fine breadcrumbs for dusting
- 20 fresh bay leaves (see notes on dried)
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Soak the raisins in hot or warm water and set aside.
- Blitz the bread in a food processor to make coarse breadcrumbs. Toast them in a dry pan until crisp (they don’t need to be deep golden).
- Finely chop one onion and sauté in 1–2 tbsp olive oil until soft. Add the passata, a pinch of salt and pepper, stir and remove from heat.
- Chop sundried tomatoes and cube the cheese. In a large bowl combine toasted breadcrumbs, tomato-onion mixture, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, pecorino and the cubed cheese. Squeeze excess liquid from the raisins and add them. Mix until combined.
- Cut the beef into slices about 1/4 inch thick and pound to roughly half the thickness. Each slice should be about 5–6 inches long.
- Form 2 tablespoons of filling into a compact shape and place at the end of each beef slice. Roll the beef around the filling, folding the sides in as you go.
- Thread four involtini onto each skewer, adding a bay leaf and an onion wedge between each roll.
- Brush each roll lightly with olive oil and dust with fine breadcrumbs.
- Heat 2–3 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Fry the skewers for about 4 minutes per side, then hold them on their sides to brown the ends for 30–60 seconds. Serve hot.
Alternative cooking method (baking)
- Brown involtini in a pan for 1–2 minutes per side, then bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. Serve with vegetables, salad or beans.
Notes
- Bay leaves: fresh bay leaves are best because dried leaves are brittle and less aromatic. If fresh leaves aren’t available, omit them or use dried leaves tucked between the rolls and bake rather than fry.
- Cheese alternatives: if you can’t find caciocavallo, use provolone, Fontina or another semi-soft cheese.
- Make ahead: you can assemble involtini up to 1–2 days ahead (don’t dust in breadcrumbs until ready to fry). Bring to room temperature before cooking.
- Leftovers: keep refrigerated for 2–3 days and reheat in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for about 10 minutes until hot through.
Helpful info for all recipes
- Extra virgin olive oil is used unless otherwise noted.
- When using canned or jarred tomatoes, choose a quality brand for best flavour.
- All vegetables are assumed medium unless stated.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate.