1 large pork tenderloin (full loin)
FOR THE FILLING:
2 8-oz pkg cream cheese
1 jar roasted red peppers
16 oz (1 lb) bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 pkg dried pesto seasoning (Knorr brand, can be found by the gravy/dressing mixes)
Spinach leaves, fresh (about 1 C of fresh leaves, or to taste)
FOR THE TOPPING:
1 C Italian breadcrumbs
Approximately 2 T of The Olive Bin's Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Paprika, to taste
Tuscan Pork Loin
Ingredients
Directions
- If you are using a full tenderloin, cut it almost in half; then cut the halves almost in half again so that you unfold it a few times and pound it out flat.
NOTE: If you are using another kind of pork tenderloin, try to spread it out as flat as possible. - Once the tenderloin is flat and has a good surface area, spread the cream cheese all over the top. Lay the roasted red peppers over the cream cheese, then sprinkle on the crumbled bacon. Evenly sprinkle on the packages of dried pesto seasoning and lay the spinach leaves all over the top.
- Roll the pork up (as you would if you were making cinnamon rolls), and tie each piece shut with 3-4 pieces of kitchen twine. Place on a sheet pan with a baking rack. Rub olive oil over the surface of the loin.
- For the topping, mix together the bread crumbs, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add enough olive oil to make a moist crumb topping. Pat the bread crumb topping all over the pork.
- Bake at 350 degrees, for about 60-90 minutes or until pork is cooked through (160 degrees).
NOTE: For smaller loins, roasting time will be shorter. Recommended to use a meat probe to check doneness of the meat. - Once cooked, remove from oven and loosely cover with foil. Allow to sit for 10 minutes for the juices, to redistribute through the meat. Slice and serve!
Additional Info
From our friend and food instructor, Sandi Knapp
This recipe makes quite a lot of pork. After rolling but before baking, cut it into thirds or fourths. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Defrost before roasting.
