If I think of a food that “tastes” of Rome, in addition to “tomatoes with rice”, there are these rolls. If you grew up in the capital, this dish was on the tables of your childhood, prepared by your mothers and grandmothers. A simple dish, based on meat (whatever beef or veal there is), with few herbs (carrots and celery) and a slice of raw ham to make it more tasty. And, since we are in Rome, obviously everything is cooked in tomato sauce!
So, diving into memories and flavors of when I was a child, here is the recipe for Roman meat rolls.
Ingredients for 3 people (6 rolls)
- 6 thin slices of veal or beef
- 6 slices of raw ham cut quite thin
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery sticks
- 1 onion or shallot
- 1 can of tomato pulp or puree
- basil leaves
- half a glass of white wine to deglaze
- extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
- chili pepper (optional)
- 4-5 fresh basil leaves
- toothpick
Clean the carrot and celery and cut them into sticks about 5-6 cm long.
On a cutting board, lay out the slices of meat, cover them with a slice of ham and place a carrot stick and a celery stick near one end and roll the roll up tightly. Then secure it with 2 toothpicks. Repeat until the ingredients are finished.
Dice the leftover carrot and celery, add half a chopped onion or shallot and sauté in a deep pan with a little oil and pepper (add the vegetables when the oil has heated up). Brown for a few minutes (be careful not to burn the sauce!) and then add the rolls, browning them on all sides for a few minutes, and then add the white wine.
Add the tomato pulp/sauce and mix, add 4-5 basil leaves and salt to taste (I add a little chilli) and leave to cook for about 30-40 minutes, checking every now and then. If the sauce narrows too much, add a little water. Leave to rest and cool and then serve warm. with a boiled potato they are divine!
Here I am back at the table of my childhood, sometimes all you need is… a roll!
