I love classic Mediterranean roast pork with plenty of garlic, rosemary, and ground fennel seed. When I saw this recipe by David McCann in Food and Wine Magazine, I was intrigued by his pairing of fresh Basil, Tarragon, and Dill for the pesto. If you want to try a different take on rolled roast pork loin, give this recipe a try. I chose to serve this hearty cold-weather dish with Squash Risotto (Risotto alla Zucca) and drizzled the sliced pork with chorizo vinaigrette at the table. Serve accompanied by broccolini, sauteed winter greens, or a simple salad of baby spinach and baby arugula dressed with a light vinaigrette. Buon appetito!

Rolled Pork Loin Stuffed with Herb Pesto and Prosciutto
Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS
Pesto

1 cup fresh Basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh Tarragon leaves
1/2 cup fresh Dill leaves (*See note below)
3 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon grated fresh horseradish or 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pork

1 (3-pound) pork loin roast
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
4-6 slices prosciutto
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

PREPARATION
Pesto
1. Combine basil, tarragon, dill, scallions, thyme, horseradish, garlic, lemon zest, and oil in a small food processor. Process until mostly smooth.

Pork Preheat oven to 350°F.
1. Place the loin on a cutting board with the fat cap on the board and the small end facing you. With a very sharp knife, cut the loin lengthwise to within ½-inch of the bottom of the pork, cutting evenly and “unrolling” until you have a flat slice of pork about ½ inch thick.
2. Top the butterflied pork with plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even ½ -inch thickness. Remove the plastic wrap and discard.
3. Sprinkle 1 ½ teaspoons of salt over the pork; spread evenly with pesto.
4. Top the pesto with prosciutto and sprinkle evenly with the grated Parmesan.
5. Roll the meat back into a tight spiral and, using butcher’s twine, tie the roll in about 1-inch intervals. Season on all sides with pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
6. Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high. Rub the roast with olive oil. Sear, starting the fat side down and turning the roast occasionally until the roast is evenly browned. (about 10-12 minutes)
7. Place the skillet in the preheated oven and roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 135°F, 45 to 50 minutes. (begin checking at 40 minutes)
8. Transfer to a cutting board. Tent the roast lightly with aluminum foil and let rest for about 15 minutes.

*Note: feel free to sub chopped fresh rosemary, oregano, or parsley for any of the herbs, eg. ½ cup Basil, ½ cup Parsley, ¼ cup Thyme, ¼ cup Rosemary

Wine pairing: white wine: a full-bodied fruit-forward Viognier, Dry Riesling, or Pinot Gris; red wine: Zinfandel, Nebbiolo, Beaujolais, Gamay, Grenache, or Syrah. Avoid red wines with heavy tannins.

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pork-loin-stuffed-pesto-and-prosciutto by David McCann

Print Recipe

Stuffing and rolling a roast is a bit more work, but it yields important results. Rolling and tying the roast allows the meat to cook more evenly and the stuffing adds moisture and flavor to the interior of the roast. It also makes an impressive presentation for your family or dinner guests. I adapted this recipe for Marsala Sauce from Giada De Laurentiis’ cookbook Everyday Italian. Serve the dish with roasted potatoes and a green salad or corn and tomato salad.

Rolled Pork Loin Roast with Marsala Mushrooms
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 ½ pounds top loin pork roast, boneless, and butterflied
(Note: if you aren’t comfortable butterflying the roast, have your butcher do it for you.)
1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2⁄3 cup grated Fontina cheese
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
8 ounces sliced shiitake or other wild mushrooms of your choice
½ cup sweet Marsala wine
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 medium shallot
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt and pepper
4 thin slices of prosciutto

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Mix the Panko, Fontina, and 1 tablespoon of sage in a medium bowl.
Lay the butterflied pork on a flat surface and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
Spread the panko-cheese mixture evenly over the pork.
Roll the roast and arrange prosciutto slices across the top of the roast. Tie with kitchen twine at 1- to 1 ½ inch intervals. Place in a shallow roasting pan or cast-iron skillet, prosciutto side up, and roast for about 1 hour until a meat thermometer reads 140 F.
Remove roast from the oven, snip off the twine, and let rest 15-20 minutes.
While the roast rests, saute the shallot and garlic in 3 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until the shallot begins to turn golden (about 1 minute).
Add the mushrooms and 1 tablespoon of chopped sage, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid, and they begin to brown (6 to 8 minutes).
Add the Marsala and rosemary sprig and reduce by ½.
Add the broth and lemon zest and reduce by ½.
Add a tablespoon of oil to a hot skillet and sear the pork roast for about a minute on each of all sides.
Remove the roast to a cutting board and cut the pork in ½ inch thick slices. Top with the cooked mushrooms and Marsala sauce.

Wine pairing: a rosé or Pinot Noir pair well with this dish. For white wine, try a Rhone style white wine like Viognier or Roussanne.

print recipe

Rolled Pork Loin with Herb Pesto →

Rolled Pork Loin Roast with Marsala Mushrooms →