The weather hasn’t quite turned cooler yet, but I am already starting to shift into more comfort food type cooking. Every Sunday is pasta night in my house, so this past Sunday, I decided to make something a bit more special than my usual Spaghetti and Meatballs. This recipe for Sicilian Braciole is very loosely based on the Braciole my mother-in-law makes.
I’ve made Braciole in the past, but the addition of pine nuts and raisins is what makes this recipe specifically Sicilian Braciole. The pine nuts become nice and soft in the sauce, and the raisins appear to almost melt away, adding just a touch of sweetness to balance the dish.
This recipe takes a good 5 hours to make, so plan accordingly!
Ingredients:
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/4 cup dry red or white wine
- 4 (12.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
- salt and pepper, to taste
Sicilian Braciole:
- 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup dry red or white wine
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup olive oil; divided
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 pounds braciole meat (at my butcher, they were referred to as beef roll ups)
Other:
- 1 (16 oz) box spaghetti, cooked al dente
- fresh basil, chopped, for garnish