Sicilian Braciole

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup grated provolone
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 tablespoons olive oil; divided
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds braciole meat or flank steak, pounded super thin (1/8 inch)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups classic marinara sauce, recipe link in post, or store-bought marinara sauce
• Spaghetti, cooked al dente
• *You will need butcher's twine to tie the rolls

Instructions

1. Stir the first 5 ingredients together in a medium bowl, mix until well combined. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil, then add onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper, and cook for another minute. Turn heat off and stir in basil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Combine the bread crumb mixture with the onion mixture, stirring well to combine.
4. Lay the braciole flat on a large, clean work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb/onion mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly (if you're using multiple pieces of meat, divide the filling accordingly). Starting at 1 short end, and roll up the steak "jelly roll style" to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll at the beginning, middle, and end to secure. Sprinkle both sides of the braciole with salt and pepper.
5. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a heavy large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides and edges, about 6 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil; this should only take a minute or so. Stir in the marinara sauce.
6. Cover partially and simmer until the meat is tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 2 hours, uncover the pot completely and continue cooking until the meat is tender, about another 2 hours. The total cooking time will be about 3 1/2 hours - 4 hours. The meat will be technically cooked before this point, but will not be as tender if you cut the cook time to an hour or so. You've been warned ;)
7. *When the meat has been cooking 3.5 hours, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-9 minutes, or until al dente. Drain pasta and transfer to a large serving platter or multiple plates. Top with lots of sauce and braciole.
8. When ready to serve, remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut the twine off all rolls. Then, using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into thick slices. Transfer the slices to a large serving platter or on top of plates of pasta. Spoon the sauce generously over the meat and pasta and serve with cheese.