Give Classic Meatloaf An Italian Upgrade With This Stuffed Version

Saltimbocca is a classic Roman dish that features some sort of meat wrapped (or simply topped) with prosciutto and herbs. In this recipe, we use a mix of ground beef and spicy Italian sausage. We're calling this an Italian saltimbocca-ish stuffed meatloaf recipe because we take key elements from the Italian classic and transform it into something that looks a little more like meatloaf with a spinach-stuffed twist.

This is one outstanding meatloaf. It's even good on its own, just for straight snacking, and I ate the whole thing (not in one go, I'm not a monster). That cheesy center — swoon. The way the prosciutto infuses into the ground meat mix and the spinach — nom. The meat mix is nicely seasoned and super savory, and I like the umami element that the mirepoix veg imparts. I have a thing for passata now. It has quickly become my go-to tomato puree. And that simple combo of passata and aged balsamic for the glaze is perfectly tangy with a touch of balancing sweetness. Your house will smell amazing, too.

As I type this, I am seriously missing this meatloaf. It is moderately labor-intensive for a meatloaf, but trust me, it is worth the time spent. I'm worried that I've ruined other meatloaves for myself. I am also aware that this is an awful lot of back patting, but I have to say that I am proud of this one, if you can't tell.

You'll begin this recipe by sauteing a mirepoix of veggies (onion, carrot, celery, and garlic) in olive oil, then you'll deglaze the pan with white wine. This veggie mix will go into the meatloaf down the line. Then, you'll build a filling consisting of butter, spinach, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sage. Prosciutto and fresh mozzarella cheese will also end up as part of the filling, but you'll layer those on later, right before rolling up the whole meatloaf.

As for the meatloaf mix itself, you'll need both ground beef and spicy Italian sausage, along with grated Parmesan, eggs, Italian breadcrumbs, passata, salt, and pepper. The last component is the sauce, which is simply a combination of passata and aged balsamic vinegar. Passata is similar to regular tomato sauce, and you'll find it at the grocery store either near the other sauces or in the international foods aisle, with other Italian goods. I really recommend using passata here for its umami-rich and concentrated tomato flavor. If you can't find it, though, then canned tomato sauce mixed with a dollop of tomato paste will do the trick. 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Once hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Saute the mirepoix mix for 2 minutes.

Deglaze the skillet with wine and saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until the wine has mostly evaporated.

Transfer the mirepoix vegetables to a large bowl and set aside.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the butter.

Once the butter has melted, add the spinach, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sage to the skillet, working in batches as necessary.

Saute until the spinach has just wilted.

Once wilted, place the spinach in a colander to drain and set aside.

To make the meatloaf mix, place the ground beef and ground sausage in the bowl with the sauteed mirepoix veggies.

Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, passata, salt, and pepper to the bowl.

Using your hands, mix until just combined.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Transfer the meatloaf mix to a large sheet of wax paper.

Press the mix into a large rectangle about ½-inch thick.

Top the pressed meatloaf mix with the prosciutto slices.

Top the prosciutto with the sauteed spinach, spreading it evenly.

Tear the mozzarella slices into smaller pieces and place on top of the spinach.

Using the wax paper as leverage, roll the meatloaf mix into a cylinder.

Mold and press the ends of the cylinder to cover and secure the filling, creating a loaf shape.

Transfer the loaf to a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes.

While the meatloaf is baking, make the sauce by placing the passata and balsamic in a medium bowl.

Whisk to combine the sauce.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cover the top and sides of the meatloaf in the sauce.

Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 F.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and set it aside to rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh sage before serving.

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One of the great things about meatloaf is that it's a generally very versatile main, meaning there's a lot of wiggle room when it comes to choosing the sides. The same sentiment goes for this Italian saltimbocca-ish stuffed meatloaf, though there is much more of an opportunity to lean into Italian Sunday dinner-inspired sides here. Some form of pasta would always be welcome on an Italian dinner table, as would a simple side of salad greens or even more cured meats. When I enjoyed my first round of this meatloaf, I paired it with sauced linguine, and on my second go-round, I went with mashed potatoes. I even ventured as far as to sandwich a slice of the meatloaf between two slices of Italian bread, so there's really no limit to the pairing options here.

While Italian-inspired sides no doubt fit in quite well with this meatloaf, you can also go with more general comfort classics, as I did with mashed potatoes. I'd venture to say that just about any realm of potato would work here, and mashed sweet potatoes in particular would offer an earthy, slightly sweet profile to balance an otherwise very savory loaf. 

Though veal might be the meat most closely associated with traditional saltimbocca, it can be prepared with various types of protein, and this saltimboca-tribute meatloaf follows a similar versatile approach. I could see a trio of ground veal, pork, and beef working well here, if you want to add even more of a saltimbocca nod to the dish. A mix of turkey and chicken would also be tasty, though I'd recommend steering away from any super lean varieties. To help boost the fat content of a turkey and chicken mix, you could add Italian sausage as well. Whatever approach you take, I strongly suggest going with some sort of blend as opposed to just beef, just pork, just chicken, and so forth, for optimal flavor and moisture retention.

There's also lots of room for experimentation when it comes to the fillings. Other leafy greens, like Swiss chard, kale, and escarole are all fair game here, but just make sure to drain them thoroughly after sauteing. If you want a slightly funkier cheese in the filling, go with something like fontina, aged provolone, or Taleggio. 

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