Pork meat, which is nutritional and economical, is used a lot in Italy. Using the tenderloin for this dish guarantees a tender result, but one can use boneless shoulder or leg meat instead, cutting it into thin slices. You can also make this dish with chicken breast or boneless chicken legs. The sun-dried tomatoes bring a lot of flavor to the dish; I use them whole, or sometimes purée them in a processor and spread the paste on the meat, but in this recipe I slice them.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　2 pork tenderloins (about 2 pounds total)

　　1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

　　12 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

　　4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　All-purpose flour, for dredging

　　6 to 8 large fresh sage leaves

　　20 ounces cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced

　　

Step 1

Cut each pork tenderloin crosswise, on the bias, into six equal slices—twelve slices in all. Pound each piece of pork to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch, using a meat mallet. Season the pork on both sides with the salt.

　　

Step 2

Lay the pork slices flat on your work surface, and evenly place the sliced sun-dried tomatoes on top. Layer on the sliced prosciutto, cutting or tearing it to fit on the pork slices without draping over the sides. Roll up the pork lengthwise, enclosing the filling, and secure with toothpicks.

　　

Step 3

Melt the butter and the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the flour onto a plate. Dredge the pork rolls lightly in the flour, tapping off the excess. Sear the pork in the skillet on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes in all, then push the pork to one side of the pan and toss in the sage leaves. Once the sage is sizzling, add the mushrooms, and cook until they are starting to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Redistribute the pork rolls evenly in the pan with the mushrooms, then cover the skillet and lower the heat. Simmer until the mushrooms have given off their juices and the pork is tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

　　Reprinted with permission from Lidia's Italy in America by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2011 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.