Sicilian Sausage Rolls (Tomasini)

4.7
(9)

This is my take on Sicilian sausage rolls (tomasini), pizza dough spirals filled with ricotta and Italian sausage. They may not be that authentic, but they are extremely delicious. If you buy some ready-made pizza dough, they are also extremely easy.

1
sausage rolls in rows on board with small bowl of tomato sauce
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 5 mins
Servings:
12

Before I get into these amazing Sicilian Sausage Rolls, I want to wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year! We took a week off for the holiday, and it’s always challenging to get back in the swing of things, so please excuse this somewhat phoned-in post. The good news is this simple party snack doesn’t need much in the way of expansive explanations. 

 All we’re doing here is rolling out, rolling up, and baking. If you buy a ball of ready-to-use pizza dough, this is so easy, even the kids can do it. And if they do, they’ll probably end up with something that looks as ragged and messy (as mine did), but it doesn’t matter. No matter how these appear going in the oven, once they come out, you’ll be looking at a gorgeous, and absolutely delicious party snack, which is why I really do hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy! 

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings

  • 24 ounces pizza dough

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • 2 cups ricotta cheese

  • 12 ounces Italian sausage, casing removed

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, or to taste

  • salt to taste

  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

  • 1/2 cup pecorino Romano cheese, plus more to finish

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

  2. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 12x18-inch rectangle. Brush the entire surface of dough with half the beaten egg

  3. Beginning about 3 inches from the top edge of the long side of dough, scoop rounded tablespoons of ricotta onto dough in a row, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each scoop. Make a second row below the first, but offset the ricotta scoops to make a checkerboard pattern. Repeat all the way to the bottom of the dough, using all the ricotta. 

  4. Place rounded tablespoons of sausage into the spaces between ricotta scoops. When finished, the cheese on one row should line up with sausage on the next row and vice versa. 

  5. Season with black pepper, red chili flakes, and salt, keeping in mind that sausage may already be salty. Scatter green onions over, and grate pecorino Romano cheese evenly over.

  6. Roll dough up from the bottom toward the edge with 3 inches of unfilled dough. Finish with seam on the bottom.

  7. Cut into 12 equal portions, and place cut side up on the prepared baking sheet. Brush top of each sausage roll with remaining egg, and grate more pecorino Romano cheese over if desired.

  8. Bake in the preheated oven until nicely browned, 45 to 50 minutes.

    sausage rolls in rows on board with small bowl of tomato sauce

    John Mitzewich

    Chef's Note

    If you prefer to make your own pizza dough, my Famous California Pizza Dough is just right for this recipe.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

318 Calories
15g Fat
30g Carbs
15g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 318
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 6g 29%
Cholesterol 48mg 16%
Sodium 557mg 24%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 15g 31%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 165mg 13%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 202mg 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.