Rotolo di Frittata Farcito

Name: Rotolo di Frittata Farcito
Cuisine: Campanian
Ingredients: 8 eggs; 40 g Parmigiano; Fresh parsley; Salt and black pepper; 150 g prosciutto cotto; 150 g provola or mozzarella; Ricotta

A rolled stuffed frittata filled with ham and cheese, cut into pinwheel slices on a white plate

Slices of a rolled frittata showing spirals of ham and melted cheese, on a white plate with parsley

My mother made this often, and I should be honest about its provenance: I am not certain it is properly Neapolitan. It has the feel of a dish that travelled — the kind of cold, sliceable, make-ahead thing that turns up at buffets all over Italy. But it was on our table regularly enough that it belongs in this collection regardless of where it was born. Memory has its own claim on a recipe.

What it is: a thin frittata baked flat in a sheet pan rather than fried in a round, then spread with prosciutto cotto and provola while still warm, rolled up tight like a roulade, chilled, and cut into pinwheel slices. You make it the day before. It slices clean and cold, it travels in a tin, and it sits happily on a table for hours — which is the whole point of it.

Make it ahead The roll needs time in the fridge to set before slicing — at least a couple of hours, better overnight. Cold and firm, it cuts into neat spirals; warm, it falls apart. This is a dish that rewards planning, not improvisation.

Rotolo di Frittata Farcito — step by step infographic, Mediterranean Notes

Tap to enlarge — Rotolo di frittata farcito: la base, la farcitura, il riposo

Recipe — Rotolo di Frittata Farcito

Serves 6–8 · 20 minutes + chilling

8 eggs
40 g Parmigiano grated
Fresh parsley chopped
Salt and black pepper
150 g prosciutto cotto sliced
150 g provola or mozzarella well-drained, sliced
Ricotta optional — a few spoonfuls to spread

Beat the eggs with the Parmigiano, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined.

Bake the base. Pour into a lined rectangular sheet pan (about 30×24 cm) and bake at 180°C for 10–15 minutes, until just set. Do not overbake or it will crack when rolled.

Cool slightly. Turn the frittata out and let it cool enough to handle but stay pliable.

Fill it. Spread with ricotta if using, then lay the prosciutto cotto and provola evenly over the surface, leaving a border.

Roll it up tightly from one short end, using the paper to help, into a firm log.

Roll snugly — gaps make ragged slices.

Rest in the fridge, wrapped, for at least 2 hours or overnight, until firm.

Serve cold, cut into 1.5–2 cm pinwheel slices, at room temperature.

Vary the filling the way you would a panino: smoked provola for more depth, a vegetarian version with spinach and ricotta, salami in place of the cooked ham. It sits naturally alongside the rest of the frittata family — just served cold and in slices rather than hot from the pan.

Si prepara prima, si serve a fette — e dura tutta la festa.