L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES A s the season cycles back to Fall and the air begins to chill, the Italian table is fre- quently graced with delicious roasts that highlight the flavors of the season. Simple meats are elevated with the flavors of Autunno, whether stuffed or braised, cooked long and slow to transform the meat into a flavorful Fall dish that warms the soul. One of my favorite roasts is one that I frequently serve on Thank- sgiving. Our family has never been a big fan of turkey so rather than roast an entire bird, I have taken a page from a roast that I had one chilly Winter's day in a little coun- tryside trattoria in Sicily. The turkey breast was butterflied and stuffed with a layer of prosciutto and, of all things, a frittata and ser- ved with an insanely flavorful pan sauce that bathed the turkey breast on the outside with herbs while the prosciutto melted into the meat on the inside keeping it moist and fla- vorful. I have since made this roast at home for guests, as it looks as if you toiled for hours in the kit- chen, for family holidays and for Sunday suppers. In this version, I have used a layer of prosciutto but you could easily substitute some delicious mortadella or sliced pancetta. I also added a layer of baby spinach. You could omit or better still, kick up the flavor of the spinach by first sautéing with a bit of garlic. La- stly, the frittata stuffing is simple and impressive. Make your favo- rite flavor of frittata (or even toss the spinach into the frittata to make things even simpler). Have your local butcher butter- fly the turkey breast and be sure and lay the breast out on a few sheets of plastic wrap. The plastic wrap really helps you roll the breast once stuffed. After the roast is cooked and has had time to rest, I like to slice the meat and allow to simmer in the flavorful pan sauce for just a minute before ser- ving. From our home to yours, wi- shing everyone a wonderful Au- tunno! Buon appetito! Michele Rotolo di tacchino con frit- tata Serves 4 Ingredients: ■ 4 eggs ■ 3 teaspoons grated Parmi- giano ■ Fresh parsley ■ Kosher salt ■ Pepper ■ Extra virgin olive oil ■ 1 medium onion, diced ■ 3 pound breast of turkey ■ About 8 slices prosciutto ■ Fresh baby spinach ■ 1 tablespoon butter MICHELE BECCI ■ 1 cup dry white wine ■ A few sprigs fresh rosemary ■ A few sprigs fresh thyme Directions: Make the frittata: in a small bowl, beat the eggs with the Par- migiano, about a ¼ cup of fresh chopped parsley, a few large pin- ches of salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a medium pan, heat a few tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Pour in the egg mixture and cook over medium heat until cooked on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on other side until done. Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 350 de- grees Fahrenheit. Prep the turkey breast: but- terfly the turkey breast (if not al- ready done by your butcher). Place the turkey breast on a cut- ting board and using a knife, cut the breast parallel to the cutting board, leaving the other side intact so that you can open the turkey breast like a book. Cover a clean cutting board with plastic wrap. Place the turkey breast on top, open and flatten. Cover with plastic wrap and pound to flatten into an even thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay slices of prosciutto to cover turkey breast, then the baby spinach. Finally, cover with the frittata. Using the plastic wrap to help, roll the turkey breast and tie with kitchen twine (having a helper makes this a bit easier). Season the outside with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan (cast iron works great here) over me- dium heat with a few tablespoons olive oil and the butter. Brown all sides of the turkey breast. Re- move from heat. Pour in the white wine. Add a sprig of fresh rose- mary and thyme to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid or foil. Place in the oven and roast until the inter- nal temperature of the turkey is about 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about 12 minutes per pound. Re- move from oven and let stand for about 10 minutes. Remove the roast to a cutting board and let rest. Meanwhile, heat the pan on the stove over medium heat. Add another sprig of rosemary and thyme. Boil the remaining liquid in the pan until slightly reduced. (Feel free to add in some stock or more wine to add to the liquid in the pan). Slice the roast into thick slices. Briefly place the slices in the pan to coat with the sauce. Re- move the slices to a warmed plate. Spoon the sauce on top. Serve and enjoy! This is an alternative and delicious way to prepare turkey this Thanksgiving. Photo: Michele Becci To make this rotolo, the turkey breast is butterflied and stuffed with frittata and prosciutto. Photo: Michele Becci The flavors of Autunno: rotolo di tacchino con frittata

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