This Veal Rollatini, filled with roasted peppers, Menorca cheese, and fresh basil, simmered in a rich tomato-and-olive sauce and finished with more Menorca cheese, is as decadent as it sounds. The flavors marry beautifully into a luxurious dish. Serve it with your favorite pasta or a rustic Italian bread to soak up every drop of sauce—you may find yourself momentarily speechless.
This post was created in collaboration with Mahon-Menorca Cheese.
This is my third and final entry for the Menorca Cheese Bloggers Challenge, submitted in the Main Dishes category. If you’d like to see my other entries, I previously shared an appetizer, Pizzette with Garlic Shrimp and Roasted Pepper Pesto, and a side dish, individual Cheesy Pasta Bakes in ramekins.
This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy HERE.
I received cheese samples from the brand and I may be compensated if I win the challenge.
Veal Rollatini (Involtini) — An Elegant Dinner at Home
“Involtini” is the traditional Italian term for small rolled bundles of food. The name “rollatini” has gained popular use and, to my ear, better describes this particular preparation, so I call this Veal Rollatini. Whatever you call it, the result is an elegant, flavorful main course.
Using veal instead of chicken elevates the dish while keeping the cooking time short. Each thin cutlet is layered with roasted peppers, a fresh basil leaf, and cured Mahon-Menorca cheese, then rolled and browned. The rollatini finish gently simmering in a tomato sauce brightened with burst cherry tomatoes, garlic, and Kalamata olives. Finally, a scattering of semi-cured Menorca cheese is melted over the top until golden and bubbly.
I’ve used Mahon-Menorca cheese in several recipes and it consistently performs beautifully. Its versatility makes it an excellent partner for savory mains, as well as for appetizers and sauces.
Ingredients
Gather the following ingredients before you begin. The complete recipe with exact measurements and nutrition information appears in the recipe card below.
- Thin veal cutlets
- Cured and semi-cured Mahon-Menorca cheese
- Roasted red peppers
- Fresh basil leaves
- Crushed tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Kalamata olives
- Sweet onion
- Garlic
- Dry oregano
- Wondra flour or all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper
- Sugar
- Cooking oil for browning (light olive oil or canola)
- Extra virgin olive oil for the cherry tomatoes and olives
- Kitchen twine or toothpicks to secure the rollatini
Method — Step by Step
Follow these steps to assemble and cook the veal rollatini.
Step 1: Shred both Mahon-Menorca cheeses. Pound the veal cutlets lightly and season both sides with salt and pepper.
Step 2: On each cutlet, place a basil leaf, a slice or two of roasted red pepper, and a tablespoon or so of shredded cured Menorca cheese.
Step 3: Roll each cutlet and secure it with a toothpick or kitchen twine. I prefer twine for a firmer hold.
Step 4: Lightly dust each roll with Wondra or all-purpose flour. Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet and brown the rollatini on all sides for about 5 minutes total. Remove and set aside to cool briefly; then remove the twine.
Step 5: In the same skillet, add chopped onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and oregano, cook briefly, then stir in crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Meanwhile, heat extra virgin olive oil in a small pan. Add halved cherry tomatoes and cook until they just begin to burst. Add chopped garlic and halved Kalamata olives, cook another minute, then remove from heat and set aside.
Step 7: Return the browned veal rollatini to the tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, rotating occasionally to ensure even cooking. Any cheese that escapes will meld into the sauce.
Step 8: Taste and adjust seasoning. Spoon the cherry tomato-and-olive mixture over the rollatini, sprinkle with shredded cured Menorca cheese, and place the pan briefly under the broiler until the cheese is bubbling and lightly golden.
Step 9: Remove from the oven, scatter with extra basil leaves, and serve with pasta or fresh bread. Enjoy.
Equipment
- Cutting board and knives
- Meat tenderizer
- Cast-iron or ovenproof skillet
- Small frying pan for the tomato-olive topping
- Cheese grater
- Kitchen twine or toothpicks
About Mahon-Menorca Cheeses
Mahon-Menorca cheese carries a Protected Guarantee of Origin (PGO), meaning its character is closely tied to the island of Menorca. The PGO covers several maturations:
- Tender: Soft, creamy, aged 21–60 days; milky and buttery.
- Semi-cured: Firm with an orange rind, aged 2–5 months; milky with notes of toasted nuts and dried fruit.
- Cured: Firm and crumbly, aged more than 5 months; intense, complex flavor prized by cheese lovers.
There is also a traditional-style Mahon made from raw milk and aged for about six months, offering a deeper and more complex profile.
Where to Find Mahon-Menorca Cheese
Mahon-Menorca cheeses are available in many U.S. specialty and grocery stores, including Whole Foods and various regional markets and gourmet shops.
Veal Rollatini with Roasted Peppers, Basil and Cheese in Tomato Olive Sauce
Ingredients
Veal Rollatini
- 8 Veal cutlets thin slices
- 1/2 cup Cured Mahon Menorca Cheese up to 1 cup depending on how much you place on each cutlet
- 1/2 cup Semi-Cured Mahon Menorca Cheese up to 1 cup if you want more cheese on top
- 1/2 cup Roasted Red Peppers sliced
- 12 Basil leaves 1 per cutlet, plus extra to garnish
- 1/3 cup Wondra flour for dusting
- 2 tbsp Cooking oil for browning
Tomato Sauce
- 1 Sweet onion small to medium, finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic chopped
- 2 cans Crushed tomatoes 14 oz each, or one 28 oz can
- 1/2 teaspoon Dry oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt up to 1 teaspoon to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
Tomato-Olive Topping
- 2 cloves Garlic chopped
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/3 cup Kalamata olives halved
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Shred both Mahon-Menorca cheeses. Pound the veal cutlets on both sides and season with salt and pepper.
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Assemble each rollatini with a basil leaf, roasted pepper slices, and about a tablespoon of shredded cured Menorca cheese.
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Roll and secure each cutlet with a toothpick or kitchen twine.
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Dust with flour and brown in hot oil in an ovenproof skillet for about 5 minutes total. Remove, cool slightly, and remove twine.
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In the same skillet, cook the onion until translucent. Add garlic and oregano for a minute, then add crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
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In a separate pan, warm olive oil, sauté halved cherry tomatoes until they burst slightly, then add garlic and olives for one minute. Set aside.
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Return rollatini to the sauce, cover, and simmer 10 more minutes until cooked through. Rotate occasionally for even cooking.
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Top with the cherry tomato-and-olive mixture and shredded cured Menorca cheese. Broil briefly until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Garnish with basil and serve.
Nutrition
Sponsored by Mahon-Menorca Cheese.
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