As the colder months arrive and the holiday season beckons, the desire for a truly special main course grows. While countless options abound, few dishes can rival the elegance and profound flavor of a perfectly executed stuffed roast. Among these, pork loin stands out as a versatile canvas, capable of transforming simple ingredients into a culinary masterpiece. This year, we are captivated by a particular creation that promises to elevate your festive table: the exquisite Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. This dish not only offers a visually stunning presentation with its vibrant colors and artful spiral but also delivers an absolutely amazing taste experience that will delight every palate.
Crafting the Perfect Stuffed Pork Tenderloin: Ingredients and Inspiration
Creating an unforgettable meal often begins with selecting high-quality ingredients. For this particular recipe, we wholeheartedly recommend products from Filippo Berio, a brand renowned for its exceptional olive oils and pestos. Their commitment to flavor shines through, and in this dish, both their premium olive oil and their delectable pesto play pivotal roles. While this year might be unique in how we gather, the joy of a homemade, gourmet meal should remain just as special. This recipe allows you to create a sophisticated main course that feels celebratory, regardless of the occasion.
Our choice for this festive roast centers around a smaller pork tenderloin, typically weighing between 1 to 1.5 pounds, which comfortably serves 2 to 4 people. This size is ideal for intimate gatherings or when you desire a more manageable cooking project. However, the beauty of this recipe lies in its adaptability. Should you be hosting a larger party, you can easily scale up by using a larger pork loin, adjusting the quantities of the stuffing ingredients accordingly. Regardless of the cut you choose, the carefully selected stuffing and robust flavor profile are what truly elevate this dish from simple roast to extraordinary dining experience.
So, let’s delve into the components that make this stuffed pork tenderloin a truly remarkable culinary achievement, starting with its heart: the vibrant and flavorful stuffing.
The Heart of the Roast: A Flavorful Pesto, Spinach, and Pecan Stuffing
While Filippo Berio offers a delightful range of pestos that would undoubtedly enhance any roast, our selection for this recipe was their Sun Dried Tomato Pesto. This particular pesto brings a distinctive brightness and a rich, savory depth that perfectly complements the lean pork. Spreading this vibrant pesto generously on the inside of the pork loin creates an incredible flavor base. It’s then layered with lightly sautéed spinach, which adds a fresh, earthy note and crucial moisture, ensuring the pork remains succulent during cooking. Finally, a scattering of toasted pecans introduces a delightful textural contrast and a subtle nutty flavor that harmonizes beautifully with the other ingredients.
The visual impact of this dish is undeniable. Once roasted and sliced, the caramelized exterior of the pork loin reveals a stunning spiral of vibrant green spinach interspersed with hints of bright red from the Filippo Berio Sun Dried Tomato Pesto. If the idea of preparing a stuffed pork loin feels intimidating, let us reassure you: it’s far simpler than it looks. The most specialized tool you might need is kitchen twine, which is readily available. The effort is minimal compared to the impressive presentation and gourmet flavors you’ll achieve, making it a guaranteed visual hit on any dinner table.
Beyond its striking appearance, the true genius of this roast lies in its harmonious blend of flavors and textures. As anyone who has endured a dry holiday turkey knows, visual appeal is only part of the culinary battle. What makes this pork tenderloin so successful is the synergistic interplay of its components. The spinach, beyond its flavor and color, serves a vital purpose by helping to keep the pork incredibly moist from within, preventing the dryness often associated with lean cuts.
The sun-dried tomato pesto is a star here, contributing a balanced sweetness and a burst of umami that elevates the entire dish. Its rich, concentrated tomato flavor provides that perfect “pop” needed to transform a humble pork tenderloin into a superstar entrée. Even on its own, the Filippo Berio Sun Dried Tomato Pesto is a testament to quality, and its inclusion here is a game-changer. Adding the lightly sautéed spinach brings a delicate earthiness and tender texture, while the toasted pecans provide an unexpected, yet welcome, crunch and depth of nutty flavor. This combination is so delightful that you’ll likely find yourself making this dish far more often than just for special occasions; it’s perfect for any time of year when you crave something both comforting and refined.
Mastering the Technique: How to Prepare Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Creating a beautifully stuffed pork tenderloin, despite its elegant appearance, is a surprisingly straightforward process that even novice cooks can master with confidence. The key technique involved is butterflying the pork tenderloin, which means making a strategic cut to create a flatter, more uniform piece of meat for stuffing and rolling.
To butterfly, place the pork tenderloin on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make one long cut down the middle of the tenderloin, lengthwise, stopping about two-thirds of the way through. Be careful not to cut all the way through the meat. Once this initial cut is made, gently open the two halves, like opening a book. You will then have a wider, somewhat uneven piece of pork. To ensure an even roll and consistent cooking, lightly pound out the meat to an approximate thickness of ¼ inch. This step not only makes the pork more malleable for rolling but also aids in tenderizing the meat, resulting in a more succulent final product.
The most effective tool for pounding meat is a meat mallet, designed to tenderize without tearing. However, if you don’t own one, don’t fret! You can improvise with any heavy, flat-sided object available in your kitchen, such as a sturdy rolling pin, a heavy-bottomed pan, or even a wine bottle if nothing else is at hand. Just be sure to protect your cutting surface and apply even pressure.
Pounding the meat serves a dual purpose: it creates a larger, flatter surface that makes spreading the stuffing easier and allows you to achieve that appealing spiral when rolled. Crucially, it also tenderizes the pork, breaking down tough muscle fibers to ensure every bite is incredibly tender and juicy.
Once you have a wonderfully flattened piece of pork, the stuffing process is a breeze. Begin by evenly spreading the sun-dried tomato pesto over the entire surface of the butterflied pork. Follow this with the sautéed spinach, distributing it as evenly as possible. Finally, sprinkle the toasted pecans over the spinach. With all the delicious fillings in place, carefully roll the pork up from one end to the other, creating a tight log.
To ensure your creation holds its shape during cooking and prevents any precious stuffing from escaping, you’ll need to secure it. Kitchen twine is your best friend here and is widely available. Slide several pieces of twine underneath the rolled pork at even intervals, roughly every inch or so. Then, tie each piece of twine fairly tightly around the pork, ensuring it’s snug but not overly compressed. If kitchen twine is unavailable, a few toothpicks strategically placed can also work as a temporary solution, though twine offers superior security and a more uniform shape.
The Art of Cooking: Searing and Roasting to Perfection
The cooking process for this stuffed pork tenderloin involves two essential steps: searing and roasting. Each contributes uniquely to the final dish, ensuring both a delectable exterior and a perfectly cooked interior. Searing the pork first is a non-negotiable step that should never be skipped. This high-heat, quick cooking method creates a beautiful golden-brown crust on the outside of the pork, enhancing its visual appeal and, more importantly, developing rich, complex flavors through the Maillard reaction. This caramelization adds a depth of savory goodness that roasting alone cannot achieve.
Filippo Berio Olive Oil is perfect for searing the pork, providing a high smoke point and rich flavor. The pork is securely tied with kitchen twine to ensure the stuffing stays intact during cooking. Sear each side for 1-2 minutes until the pork achieves a beautiful golden-brown crust.
To achieve this perfect sear, heat a tablespoon of Filippo Berio Olive Oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Place the tied pork tenderloin in the hot pan and sear each side for approximately 1-2 minutes, rotating it until all sides are uniformly golden brown. The goal is to develop that rich color and flavor without overcooking the exterior. Ensure the pan is hot enough to achieve browning quickly.
Once seared, carefully transfer the pork to a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Alternatively, if you’re using an oven-safe skillet like a stainless steel or cast iron skillet, you can simply transfer the entire skillet directly into the preheated oven. This minimizes cleanup and retains all the flavorful fond from searing.
The pork will roast for approximately 12-20 minutes, though cooking times can vary depending on the thickness of your pork and your oven’s calibration. The critical factor is reaching an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare, or 160°F (71°C) for medium. Always use a reliable meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork, avoiding the stuffing, to accurately check for doneness. Begin checking after 12 minutes, and then every few minutes until your desired temperature is reached. Once done, remove the pork from the oven and tent it loosely with foil. Allow it to rest for at least 5-10 minutes. This resting period is crucial, allowing the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and flavorful roast.
While your beautifully stuffed pork tenderloin is roasting and then resting, you’ll have the perfect window of time to finalize your accompanying sauce, adding another layer of gourmet sophistication to your meal.
The Elegant Companion: A Simple Red Wine Reduction
While the Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Stuffed Pork Tenderloin is a masterpiece on its own, a well-crafted sauce can elevate it to truly exceptional heights. For this dish, we recommend a light and flavorful red wine reduction. This isn’t a heavy, butter-laden gravy, but rather a sophisticated, tart-sweet concoction that beautifully complements the savory pork without overpowering it. Our chosen reduction features a blend of dry red wine, a touch of port for depth, aromatic thyme, and a hint of honey to balance the acidity.
This red wine reduction is surprisingly easy to make and doesn’t require constant attention, making it perfect for preparing alongside your main course. However, it does require a bit of time and patience to reduce properly and develop its full flavor, so planning ahead is key. We typically suggest starting the sauce before you even begin preparing the pork. This ensures that the reduction has ample time to simmer and thicken to the desired consistency, ready to be drizzled over the pork as soon as it emerges from the oven.
This delightful red wine reduction is the perfect finishing touch, ready to be drizzled over your Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, adding another layer of flavor and elegance.
The process involves gently simmering vegetables and herbs in beef broth, reducing the liquid to concentrate the flavors. After straining, the reduced broth is combined with red wine, port, and honey, then further reduced until it reaches a beautiful, glossy consistency. A small amount of roux (flour cooked in olive oil) can be whisked in at the end to help thicken the sauce to perfection, creating a smooth, velvety texture. The result is a sauce that is both robust and delicate, enhancing every bite of the stuffed pork tenderloin without masking its inherent deliciousness.
A Culinary Triumph: Serve and Savor
We are confident that you will thoroughly enjoy this recipe for Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. It’s a dish that artfully balances simplicity in preparation with a refined outcome, offering both stunning visual appeal and an unforgettable taste experience. Give it a try, and you’ll discover a new favorite that’s perfect for holiday meals, special celebrations, or simply to make an ordinary weeknight feel extraordinary. The combination of the tender pork, the vibrant, flavorful pesto, the fresh spinach, and the crunchy pecans creates a symphony of flavors and textures that is truly gourmet-worthy.
Once your pork has rested, remove the kitchen twine, then slice it into thick, elegant rounds to showcase the beautiful spiral of stuffing. Serve immediately, drizzling generously with the optional red wine reduction. For complementary side dishes, consider our Parmesan Peppercorn Mashed Potatoes for a creamy, savory accompaniment, or our Parmesan Herb Asparagus with Prosciutto and Pine Nuts for a fresh, crisp vegetable component. The rich flavors of the pork and sauce would also pair wonderfully with roasted root vegetables or a simple green salad.
If you decide to create this magnificent recipe, we would absolutely love to hear about your experience! Please leave us a comment below to share your thoughts, or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine so we can see your culinary triumph. Your feedback and creations inspire us to keep sharing delicious recipes!
For more inspiration and delightful dishes that pair perfectly with this stuffed pork tenderloin or stand on their own as culinary gems, be sure to explore some of our other popular recipes:
- Crunchy Chicken with White Wine Lemon Butter Sauce
- Coq au Vin – Chicken in Red Wine
- Parmesan Peppercorn Mashed Potatoes
- Parmesan Herb Asparagus with Prosciutto and Pine Nuts
- White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake
📖 Recipe: Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
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For the Pork
- 1 Pork tenderloin (1-1.5 lbs)
- 3 oz Filippo Berio Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 oz spinach
- 1 pinch sea salt
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- pinch of salt and pepper to lightly season all sides of pork
For the Sauce (optional)
- 1 small carrot, sliced
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- 1 thyme sprig
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- â…” cup dry red wine
- ¼ cup Port wine
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
Instructions
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PREPARE THE PORK
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Butterfly the pork tenderloin by making a lengthwise cut about two-thirds of the way through. Open it flat and lightly pound with a meat mallet to an even ¼ inch thickness.
- Generously coat one side of the butterflied pork with the Filippo Berio Sun Dried Tomato Pesto. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the spinach and quickly sauté for about 15-20 seconds, using tongs or a spatula, until the leaves are just barely wilted.
- Immediately remove the wilted spinach from the skillet and place it on paper towels to drain any excess water or oil. Allow it to cool for a few minutes. Transfer the spinach to a small bowl and mix with a pinch of sea salt.
- In a separate small, dry skillet, toast the chopped pecans over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until you begin to smell their fragrant aroma and they achieve a light golden color. Be careful not to burn them. Remove from the pan and add the toasted nuts to the seasoned spinach.
- Evenly spread the spinach and pecan filling over the pesto-coated pork. Carefully roll the pork into a tight log. Secure the roll by tying it with kitchen twine every inch or so to ensure the filling stays inside during cooking. Season all sides of the rolled pork lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in the large skillet (the same one used for spinach, if clean) over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides (approximately 1-2 minutes per side) to develop a beautiful golden-brown crust and rich color.
- Transfer the seared pork to a roasting pan with a rack (or an oven-safe skillet) and place it in the preheated oven. Roast for 12-20 minutes, checking the internal temperature of the meat with a meat thermometer after the first 12 minutes. The pork should reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare, or 160°F (71°C) for medium.
- Remove the pork from the oven and tent it lightly with foil. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes. This resting period helps the juices redistribute, ensuring a tender and moist roast. Remove the twine before slicing and serving with the optional red wine reduction.
FOR THE SAUCE (optional)
- The red wine reduction can be prepared partially in advance. Cook it about three-quarters of the way, then finish reducing it while the pork roasts.
- In a saucepan, combine the sliced carrot, sliced celery, thyme sprig, beef broth, and ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and reduce the liquid by half, allowing the flavors to concentrate.
- Strain the reduced mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Return the flavorful liquid to the saucepan.
- Add the dry red wine, Port wine, and honey to the saucepan. Continue to simmer over medium heat and reduce this mixture again by half, allowing the sauce to thicken and flavors to meld.
- While the sauce is undergoing its second reduction, prepare a small roux. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour to the hot oil and whisk continuously until combined, cooking for about 3 minutes to create a light roux. It should be pale golden.
- Whisk the prepared roux into the saucepan with the wine reduction until the sauce is completely smooth and free of lumps. Continue to simmer and reduce the sauce until it reaches your desired thick, glossy consistency.
- Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as needed. Drizzle generously over the sliced stuffed pork tenderloin. Enjoy your gourmet meal!