Adapted from Franco Taruschio's 'Leaves from the Walnut Tree', these stuffed and rolled beef escalopes are braised gently in tomato sauce.

Ingredients - serves 4

8 beef escalopes
8 slices streaky bacon
2 cloves garlic, crushed & finely chopped
50g pine kernels
2 tsp dried oregano
80g grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp chopped parsley

olive oil
2 x tins chopped tomatoes
1 glass white wine
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 bay leaves
salt, pepper

Method

Flatten the escalopes with a rolling pin (sandwich them between 2 layers of cling film) and then lay a slice of streaky bacon across each. Mix the garlic, pine kernels, Parmesan cheese, oregano and parsley together and divide between the escalopes - sprinkling over each. season the olives with salt and pepper, roll and secure with cocktail sticks.

Heat some olive oil in a heavy casserole and fry the olives to brown on all sides then add the wine. Reduce by half then add the tomatoes, purée and bay leaves and when the tomatoes are gently simmering, cover and turn to lowest heat. Cook slowly for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, stirring regularly throughout. The sauce should be thick and the beef olives very tender. Discard the bay leaves.

Serve both sauce and beef olives over tagliatelli, sprinkle with more chopped parsley or torn basil leaves.