Pesto Pork Roulade

Name: Pesto Pork Roulade
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 16
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2.5 lb pork loin, cut into two pieces; 2 oz (8 slices) prosciutto; 1/2 cup pesto; 1 tbsp Urban Slicer Mojo White Seasoning; 2 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning; 1 lb Rummo Bucatini Pasta; Basil, chiffonade; Parmesan, grated; 2 cans (6 cups) Ciao San Marzano Tomatoes; 1 cup heavy cream; 4 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled; 4 tsp Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning

Nov 13, 2024 • Tom Jackson

For an impressive, Italian-inspired feast, try this Pesto Pork Roulade with a rich, creamy tomato pasta. Start with two pork loins, butterflied, tenderized, and ready to be transformed. Smother each piece in fragrant pesto, then drape with slices of delicate prosciutto. Roll them up tight, secure with twine, and season with a hint of Italian flair—Urban Slicer Mojo White and Cattleman’s Grill Italiano. Fire up your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet grill, and let the roulades roast slowly at 375ºF until they reach a juicy, perfect 135ºF inside. Meanwhile, blend San Marzano tomatoes with heavy cream, garlic, and Italian herbs into a velvety sauce that simmers down to luxurious richness. After letting the roulades rest, boil up some bucatini, toss it generously in the tomato sauce, and plate it with thin, savory slices of the roulade. Top it off with fresh basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan for an irresistible finish.

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE

Restaurant-worthy presentation: Sliced crosswise, the roulade reveals a beautiful pesto-and-prosciutto spiral — a genuine showstopper that looks far more difficult than it is.
Flavor built from the inside out: Pesto and prosciutto layered inside the pork loin season every bite all the way through, not just the surface.
One cook, complete meal: The creamy San Marzano tomato sauce and bucatini come together while the roulade roasts, so everything lands on the table at the same time.
Adaptable technique: The butterfly-stuff-roll method works equally well on a pellet grill or a kitchen oven — same temps, same results, serious wow factor either way.

Pesto Pork Roulade

Tom Jackson

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Cuisine

Italian

Servings

16

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

90 minutes

Calories

314

Wow your holiday guests with a festive twist on classic Italian flavors! This Pesto Pork Roulade, wrapped with savory prosciutto and roasted to juicy perfection, brings comfort and cheer to the table. Paired with a creamy tomato sauce and twirl-worthy bucatini, it’s a merry masterpiece topped with fresh basil and Parmesan—a holiday feast no one will forget!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2.5 lb pork loin, cut into two pieces
2 oz (8 slices) prosciutto
1/2 cup pesto
1 tbsp Urban Slicer Mojo White Seasoning
2 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning
1 lb Rummo Bucatini Pasta
Basil, chiffonade
Parmesan, grated

For the sauce:

2 cans (6 cups) Ciao San Marzano Tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
4 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled
4 tsp Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning

View Cart (0) Checkout

Directions

Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet grill to 375ºF set up for indirect grilling.
Butterfly the pork loin pieces open. Pound even with a meat tenderizer.
Spread each flattened piece of pork with one quarter cup pesto, season with Pizza White Mojo.
Top with slices of prosciutto.
Roll the pork into a cylinder and season with Italiano seasoning.
Tie with kitchen twine to hold the shape.
Roast on the grill until the internal temperature reaches 135ºF, about 75-90 minutes.
While the pork cooks, prepare the sauce. Combine the tomatoes, cream, garlic and Italiano in the blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a skillet and reduce to desired consistency.
Remove the pork from the grill and wrap in foil to rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a pot of water for the pasta. Cook the pasta until tender. Coat the pasta with the tomato sauce and toss to incorporate.
Slice the pork loin roulade into thin pieces. Serve over the pasta, topped with basil and parmesan.

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

What does "butterflying" the pork loin mean, and do I need special skills?
Butterflying means slicing the loin lengthwise almost all the way through, then opening it flat like a book. It requires a sharp knife and a steady hand but no special technique — go slow and keep your cuts even. Pounding it flat afterward evens out any thickness variation.

Can I make the roulade ahead of time?
Yes — you can butterfly, fill, roll, and tie the roulades up to 24 hours in advance. Store them covered in the refrigerator and pull them out 20–30 minutes before cooking to take the chill off. The sauce can also be made a day ahead and reheated.

What internal temperature should the pork reach, and is 135°F safe?
The USDA approves pork loin at 145°F with a 3-minute rest, but pulling at 135°F and resting tented in foil for 20 minutes brings it to a safe temperature while keeping the meat juicy. Don't skip the rest — it's doing real work here.

Can I substitute a different pasta or skip the pasta entirely?
Bucatini's hollow center holds the creamy tomato sauce beautifully, but rigatoni, pappardelle, or spaghetti all work well. The roulade also stands on its own as a main with roasted vegetables or a simple green salad if you want to skip pasta altogether.

Can I make this indoors?
4 out of 5 — Great in the kitchen, better on the grill. A 375°F oven on a roasting rack produces excellent results. The YS640s adds a subtle ambient smoke at roasting temps that a standard oven won't replicate, but the dish is fully at home in either setting.

Recipe Highlights

Butterfly and pound for even cooking: Opening the loin flat and tenderizing it to a consistent thickness is what makes the roll tight and the cook even — skip this step and you'll get uneven doneness and a loose spiral when sliced.
Layer order matters: Pesto goes down first directly on the meat, then the prosciutto on top. This keeps the pesto from sliding during the roll and lets the prosciutto's fat render inward, basting the pork from inside as it cooks.
375°F indirect to 135°F, then a 20-minute foil rest: The higher roasting temp builds exterior color while keeping cook time under 90 minutes. The foil rest is essential — it carries the internal temp safely up while locking in the juices before slicing.
Blend the sauce raw, reduce on the stovetop: Combining the San Marzano tomatoes, cream, garlic, and Italiano in a blender before cooking gives the sauce a silky, uniform texture. Reducing it in a skillet concentrates the flavor — pull it when it coats the back of a spoon.