Keeping the #ItalianSundayDinner Tradition

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Do you remember having Sunday dinners as a kid? I do. Early afternoon dinners around the dining table with great food and of course my family.   I don’t specifically remember one meal over the other, but I do have a snapshot in my head of my parents, my sister ( and our Nonna until she passed) sitting at our little dining room table.  My father a quiet man, sat at the head of the table while my mother prepared and served our dinner.  My sister and I helped out when we could.  

 Sometimes when dinners included our extended family dinners moved down to the basement where there was a larger table and room for everyone.  Aunts, uncles, cousins and sometimes close family friends, would sit around talking for hours over good food, wine and spirits.  My mother loved to entertain and really enjoyed the company, so the more that came the merrier. 

This Pork Roast Involtini makes a perfect Sunday Dinner.

I can recall those special Sundays and family gatherings in my mind like they just happened yesterday.  I remember the laughs, the arguments, and the stories of days gone by.   Those family gatherings are forever etched in my mind and now I realize how great it was #GrowingUpItalian.    

These days those great Sunday dinners and extended family visits are not as easy to do.  With multiple events taking over our weekends, the typical #ItalianSundayDinner doesn’t happen as often as I would like.  Before my husband and I had a growing family, we always tried to have a traditional Sunday dinner as a family or with either of our parents.  But after having children and all the craziness that goes on with their schedules, that old fashioned Sunday dinner tradition quickly faded. 

That is until recently when one Sunday morning in January, my son (now a teenager), asked me if he could go to a friend’s house.  I emphatically told him “no”.  When he asked me why he couldn’t go, I simply explained to him that Sunday was a day to spend with family.  When he came back with a “why,w e don’t even do anything on Sundays” remark I realized he was right.   As a kid, I probably never would’ve asked to go somewhere on Sunday knowing it was a coveted day for family.  My son obviously didn’t know this rule and I was partly to blame. 

So this past January, I resolved to bring back the tradition of an Italian Sunday Dinner. While times have changed quite a bit, the importance of family has not.  I want my kids to get the full  #GrowingUpItalian experience that I did.  It’s so important to me that they understand nothing is more important than family, togetherness and tradition.  What better way is there to learn these lessons than around a table full of good food and family!  

To celebrate the resurgence of our Italian Sunday Dinner tradition, I set out to make the usual pasta dinner accompanied by a Stuffed Pork Roast Involtini with Spinach and Fontina Cheese.  

Once I got all my pictures for Instagram and the blog, we sat down and enjoyed a nice family dinner reminiscent of days gone by.  

“If you learn anything from #growingupitalian it’s how important family is.  We are trying to keep the tradition of the #italiansundaydinner this year. It doesn’t matter how big or how small your family is to enjoy time with the ones you love!” #ItalianSundayDinner #GrowingUpItalian #RR30Days -@cheftini (Instagram)

If you are on Instagram and have a great sunday dinner picture be sure to tag me as follows: @cheftini #ItalianSundayDinner

Here is my recipe for Stuffed Pork Loin Involtini with Spinach and Fontina Cheese – Happy Cooking and Mangia!

Stuffed Pork Loin Involtini (Rolled Pork Loin)

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Ingredients

  

• 2.5-3.0 lb Pork End Loin Roast butterflied
• 3 slices of white bread
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup of shredded fontina cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of shredded spinach
• 2 tablespoons of chopped Italian Parsley
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Pinch of Nutmeg
• Butcher/Cooking Twine
• Olive oil for searing

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
• Butterfly the pork loin roast. (the butcher can do this for you if you do not know how and ask him/her to flatten it out if possible)
• In a bowl soak the bread for about 15 minutes. Drain out the excess liquid and mix in the eggs, cheeses, spinach, parsley, nutmeg and salt and pepper if desired. Mix together to form a bread stuffing.
• Lay out the pork loin on a cutting board cut side up. Place half the stuffing along the middle/top portion of the loin leaving about a 1/4" each side. Roll the loin once over and then add more stuffing and roll again. Tie each end tight with butcher twine and then another 4 sections down the middle. Tuck in any stuffing that escapes.
• In a large saute pan sear the meat on all sides. Place in a roasting dish and cover with aluminum foil. Roast 30 minutes per pound. Every 30 minutes turn the roast over. You should end up with the top side at the end. During the last 30 minutes pour the Vermouth over the top of the loin. Continue to roast uncovered until fully cooked. Remove from the oven and let rest before slicing.

Notes

Note: Remember stuffed meat takes longer so be sure your meat and stuffing are fully cooked by using a meat thermometer.
SUBSTITUTES: Substitute pork with beef or turkey breast.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!