Ingredients

Involtini:

500 g beef tenderloin, cut into 4 thin slices (steaks)

4 tbs almonds (or pine nuts), cut into sticks, toasted

4 tbs parsley, chopped fresh leaves

4 thin slices pancetta

2 tbs olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

¼ cup wine

500 g tomato puree

¼ tsp salt

Baked fennel:

700 g fennel bulb, (2 large fennel bulbs), rinsed and trimmed, cut into eighths

4 tbs olive oil

4 tbs breadcrumbs, homemade

4 tbs grated cheese

Preparation

  1. Place each slice of beef between plastic wrap.
  2. Flatten out beef slices with a meat pounder and remove from plastic wrap.
  3. Place 1 tablespoon parsley and almonds, and 1 slice of pancetta in the middle of each beef slice and roll the meat into a roll, with all the ingredients inside. 4. Secure with a wooden or metal toothpick.
  4. Add garlic to the oil in a large saucepan and sear involtini for 3-4 minutes until meat turns golden brown on all sides.
  5. Add wine to de-glaze bits of meat stuck to the bottom of the pan and let reduce for 1 minute.
  6. Add tomato puree and salt to the pan with the involtini and let simmer for 50 minutes.
  7. Remove the steaks from the pan and serve with roasted fennel. You can serve the sauce with some pasta as a first course, or as a side dish with involtini.

Baked fennel:

  1. Cook fennel a small amount of salty water in the microwave for 8 minutes at max. Drain, transfer to an ovenproof dish.
  2. Sprinkle with olive oil, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 230°C.