Cold cuts and pepper rolls

🍂 Late summer / early autumn

🌶 Roasted pepper

🏔 Everyday Italian cuisine

🟢 Mindful cooking

Introduction

There are some dishes that aren’t created in restaurants.

They are created in home kitchens, when you’re looking for something simple yet satisfying.

These cold meat rolls stuffed with peppers are a perfect example of this: creative cooking, which combines just a few ingredients and transforms them into a convivial starter or a light yet nutritious main course.

Served cold, as summer finger food.

Or baked au gratin, for a richer, more autumnal version.

It’s a versatile recipe, but above all, it’s a quick little treat that tastes just like home.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 6 slices of cold cuts of your choice
  
  (cooked ham, speck, bresaola or roast turkey)

• 2 roasted peppers
  
  (or grilled courgettes or radicchio)

• 80 g of soft cheese
  
  (Robiola, goat’s cheese, Stracchino or cow’s milk ricotta)

• 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan

• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste.

• Fresh herbs to taste (basil, parsley, oregano)

• (Optional for the hot version) breadcrumbs and a drizzle of oil

Procedure

1. Roast the peppers

Bake the whole peppers at 200°C for 30–35 minutes, turning them until the skin is well charred.

Leave them to cool, covered, then peel them, remove the seeds and strings, and cut them into thin strips.

2. Prepare the filling

In a bowl, combine the peppers, soft cheese, Parmesan, oil, salt, pepper and herbs.

Stir until you have a rustic, fragrant cream.

3. Shape the rolls

Arrange the slices of cold cuts on a chopping board, add a spoonful of filling and roll them up gently.

Two versions

🥶 Cold version

Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Serve with fresh rocket or a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

🔥 Gratin version

Arrange the rolls in a lightly greased ovenproof dish.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and a drizzle of oil.

Bake at 180°C for 10–15 minutes, until golden brown and creamy on the inside.

Nutritional information

A dish rich in protein and healthy fats (if made with lean cold cuts and high-quality extra virgin olive oil).

It can make a well-balanced main course when served with fresh vegetables or a seasonal salad.

Why this recipe exists

Roasted peppers are one of the symbols of the Italian summer.

Cooking it slowly, peeling it by hand and dressing it with good-quality oil is a gesture that is part of domestic tradition.

The roll was created out of a need to combine practicality and flavour:

a thin slice that envelops a soft filling, creating a balance between savoury and sweet flavours.

It’s a cuisine of adaptation.

You make do with what you’ve got, but you pay attention to quality.

Key ingredient: roasted pepper

When roasted slowly, peppers develop a natural sweetness and a velvety texture.

Choosing ripe, in-season peppers and dressing them with a high-quality extra virgin olive oil makes all the difference to the final result.

Deliberate variations

• Speck or pancetta for a richer, smokier version

• Chopped black olives in the filling for a Mediterranean flavour

• Bresaola and sweet pepper purée for a lighter version

The recipe can be adapted, but the principle remains the same: balance and simplicity.

Continue exploring

• Recipes featuring seasonal peppers

• Light and convivial summer cuisine

• Further information on extra virgin olive oil

It’s not a fancy dish.

It’s a simple idea that shows how the quality of the ingredients can turn something simple into a special experience.