With the Holiday season approaching it is time to consider possibilities. In our house we rarely serve the traditional meals unless we have a full table of family expecting the tried-and-true dishes.

Instead, we might cook this boneless turkey breast, rolled with herbs, wrapped in pancetta, and roasted to a turn. Each turkey slice looks beautiful with its swirl of herbs. We serve this with a white wine–based pan sauce, and the next day, le overs make incredible sandwiches.

Needless to day, if you want to add juiciness to this delicious recipe, use a pork loin instead of  Turkey, and the gates of Heaven will open for you.

Ingredients:

Serves: 4/6 – Prep Time: 15 min – Cook Time: 70 mins

  • 1 skinless, boneless turkey breast half (about 1.25 pounds)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 16 slices pancetta
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1∕2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

Preparation:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the turkey breast on a work surface, with the smaller pointed ends running vertically. Holding a thin sharp knife at a 45-degree angle, make a deep incision into the thickest part of the meat, making sure not to go all the way through the turkey meat. Open up this ap of meat like a book. Make a couple of other incisions in other thick areas of the turkey meat and open the aps to widen the surface of the turkey to about 12 inches across. Season the turkey all over with the salt and pepper, placing the smoother side down. Sprinkle the turkey with the rosemary, sage, and thyme. Starting at a long side, roll up the turkey.

Shingle the pancetta slices on a piece of waxed or parchment paper so they form a 10-inch square. Place the rolled up turkey, seam side down, in the center of the pancetta square. Using the waxed paper as an aid, bring up the paper with the pancetta to wrap the turkey. Using kitchen twine, tie the pancetta onto the turkey.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey roll and cook, turn- ing occasionally, until the pancetta is translucent and partially cooked all over, but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the skillet with the turkey to the oven. Bake, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the roll reads 160°F and the pancetta is browned, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven. Transfer the roll to a platter and let stand for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour any fat out of the skillet. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat until the juices are sizzling. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits in the skillet with a wooden spoon. Cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Cut and remove the kitchen twine. Using a thin sharp knife, cut the roll crosswise into 1∕2-inch slices, and fan the slices on the platter. Pour the skillet sauce all over the turkey and serve.

NOTE the pancetta should be sliced about as thick as American bacon, not paper-thin like prosciutto.

Recipe from our cookbook “Super Tuscan”

Photo by @EricWolfinger

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