Braciole with chunky tomato-mushroom sauce

7
Points®
Total Time
54 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
39 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Moderate
Braciole is an Italian-American stuffed-and-rolled beef dish, usually prepared as part of an expansive Sunday family dinner. We add a generous amount of mushrooms and zucchini to the pot while the beef simmers in the bubbling tomato sauce, to add flavor to what Sicilian cooks refer to as “Sunday gravy.” Kitchen hack: An old-fashioned egg slicer makes quick work of slicing mushrooms. Simply wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel to remove any grit and trim the stems before placing them in the slicer. Serve slices of braciole over a bed of wilted greens, such as spinach, kale, or chard.

Ingredients

White bread

2 slice(s), made into coarse crumbs (1 cup)

Grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup(s)

Basil

¼ cup(s), fresh leaves, lightly packed, thinly sliced

Garlic

3 clove(s), minced

Uncooked lean beef round

16 oz, top, (or 8 thin slices), trimmed of all visible fat

Table salt

½ tsp

Black pepper

¼ tsp, freshly ground

Olive oil

1 Tbsp, extra-virgin

Mushrooms

½ pound(s), white, sliced

Uncooked zucchini

2 medium, halved lengthwise, then sliced crosswise

Plum tomato

14½ oz, canned, Italian, broken up

Instructions

  1. Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, basil, and one-third of the garlic in a small bowl.
  2. Pound the beef slices between pieces of plastic wrap until 1⁄8-inch thick. Sprinkle the beef with 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt and 1⁄8 teaspoon of the pepper. Sprinkle the bread-crumb mixture evenly over the beef slices, pressing it so it adheres. Roll up each beef slice beginning with a short side. Secure each beef roll with a wooden pick.
  3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef rolls and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer the braciole to a plate.
  4. Add the mushrooms, zucchini, and the remaining two-thirds garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are golden, about 5 minutes. Return the beef with any accumulated juices to the skillet and stir in the tomatoes with their juice; bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, until the meat is very tender, about 30 minutes.
  5. Transfer the braciole to a platter; remove the wooden picks. Spoon the vegetables and sauce around and over the braciole. Yields 2 braciole with 1 1⁄2 cups vegetables and sauce per serving.