Hi everyone!

Here's a little greeting from Italy, where I'm on summer vacation this year. 😊

A delightful phenomenon that has gone viral on social media is "Italian sushi"! These are tempting rolls made from Italian prosciutto, burrata (or mozzarella), arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, and fresh basil. The rolls are topped with sweet balsamic glaze (crema di balsamico).

In terms of appearance, the rolls might resemble Japanese Maki a bit, but flavor-wise, this is of course something entirely different from sushi. No matter what one might think about the name, these are real treats that are fun to serve! 😍

Italian sushi is great to serve as a starter before pasta or as part of a tapas spread or buffet.

The recipe yields about 15 pieces.

Ingredients: 

♥ 300 g prosciutto (see tips)
♥ 40 g arugula
♥ 3 burrata (see tips)
♥ 3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes (see tips)
♥ 2 tbsp pine nuts
♥ 15 leaves fresh basil
♥ 2 tbsp crema di balsamico

Instructions: 

Gather the ingredients.

Place plastic wrap on a large tray. Lay the slices of prosciutto lengthwise and overlapping, so that they form a tight square covering the tray. Make sure there are no gaps between the slices. It's okay if some prosciutto slices are doubled up.

Spread arugula over the prosciutto slices.

Get the burrata ready. Pull it apart to open it. Use a knife to spread the burrata in a strip in the middle of the prosciutto square.

Sprinkle over pieces of sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts.

Rip up the basil leaves and arrange them on top.

Then take the plastic wrap and roll the prosciutto square tightly into a long roll.

Drizzle over balsamic glaze.

Use a good serrated knife to slice the roll.

Place the slices on a serving tray.

You can choose whether you want to serve the rolls with chopsticks or a knife and fork. 😊

Tips:

♥ Feel free to use Italian prosciutto, but other types of cured ham, such as Spanish serrano ham, can of course also be used. It is advantageous if the ham is cut into large, elongated slices.

♥ Burrata is an Italian fresh cheese made of firm mozzarella filled with a creamy cheese mixture made from shredded fresh mozzarella and cream (the filling is called "stracciatella"). Like fresh mozzarella, burrata is stored in lightly salted water when you buy it. You can instead use fresh mozzarella that you cut into thin slices, but the rolls will then be more difficult to roll neatly. See more recipes with burrata HERE.

♥ Use sun-dried tomatoes that have been soaked in oil so that the pieces are completely soft, but let them drain well before you use them.

♥ Crema di balsamico is a type of glaze made from balsamic vinegar that is thicker and sweeter than pure balsamic vinegar. It is available in most well-stocked grocery stores. Here I used a very good type with fig flavor.

♥ I didn't use it here, but you can spread homemade pesto over the prosciutto slices before adding the arugula.

♥ For neat rolls, it's important that you lay the prosciutto slices across the direction you intend to roll them to avoid the rolls splitting at the seams. To prevent gaps, it's also essential that the prosciutto slices overlap.

♥ Italian sushi should be served the same day they are made.

Familiar Italian flavors served in a fun way! 😊

Buon appetito!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥