Beef or Pork Braciole
What are known as braciole in the United States are called involtin " little bundles" in Italy. Braciole can be thin slices of beef, pork or chicken rolled with a filling of grated cheese (most often Parmesan and Romano), sometimes egg to give consistency and some combination of additional ingredients such as bread crumbs, cheese, minced prosciutto, ham or Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, garlic, spinach and pine nuts. Each involtini is held together by a wooden toothpick or tied with string and the dish is usually served (in a various sauces: red, white, etc.) as a second course (secondo). When cooked in tomato sauce, the sauce itself is used to toss the pasta for the first course (primo), giving a consistent taste to the whole meal.
