Giada De Laurentiis’ Savory, Cheesy – and Easy – Steak Involtini Is a Quick Dinner the Whole Family Will Love
If you’re looking for something quick for dinner tonight, Giada De Laurentiis’ Steak Involtini has got you covered.
A close cousin of braciole, involtini are succulent bundles of meaty love. Prepare to make plenty; De Laurentiis’ simple and impressive recipe is that good.
De Laurentiis explains ‘involtini’
On her food blog Giadzy, the Food Network personality offered background on what exactly “involtini” are.
“An involtini is sort of the Italian version of a roulade – a stuffed and rolled piece of meat,” De Laurentiis said. “In traditional Roman cooking, this type of basic, down-to-earth cooking is classic.
“This steak involtini is inspired by an older way of Roman cooking – Romans used to buy scraps of beef leftover at the markets because they were cheaper. They’d fill those scraps with whatever was leftover at home – vegetables, cheese, or even breadcrumbs. It’s a simple way to elevate a less expensive cut and serve it in a way that’s still delicious.”
Another form of “involtini” are braciole, a pounded beef cut, stuffed with herbs, raisins, onion, bread crumbs, pan-fried, and then braised. It’s a humble, beautiful dish typically made in great quantity for the holidays and special events.
De Laurentiis’ Steak Involtini
The Giada at Home star’s Steak Involtini recipe calls for bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, olive oil, basil leaves, garlic, salt, pepper, London Broil or Top Sirloin steaks pounded to 1/8 of an inch thick, jarred marinara sauce, and skewers.
The breading, which you’ll prepare and set aside, is made just by mixing the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
The filling combines the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses with olive oil, basil, and garlic. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Now the steaks are sliced in half crosswise and the cheese mixture is placed uniformly over the surface of the steak. Roll the meat up and use the skewers to help the meat keep its “jellyroll” shape.
The steaks are then rolled in the bread crumbs and added to a skillet with oil heated over medium heat. Fry the steaks on all sides for about seven minutes. Add the marinara sauce and bring it to a simmer. Turn the steaks occasionally and cook for about ten minutes.
Don’t forget to take the skewers out; then, slice the steaks thinly and serve with more sauce.
De Laurentiis’ fans chime in on her Steak Involtini recipe
On De Laurentiis’ recipe page on the Food Network website, her meat bundle recipe got high marks.
One reviewer, while recommending it might be best to have a butcher pound the meat out said, “SOOO worth it! Absolutely delicious. I don’t think my friend was planning on it being so tasty, as I got compliments all throughout dinner.”
“My husband made this for me and our friend the other night and it was WONDERFUL. We wouldn’t change a thing. Perfect special evening dinner,” said another reviewer.
The recipe received a five-star review saying, “This dish reminded me of something I use[d] to see at the homes of my Italian friends growing up.”
