Perfectly cooked pork is juicy and flavourful and this stuffed pork tenderloin recipe makes it so easy. The meat is protected by a layer of prosciutto around the outside and a delicious sundried tomato pesto inside.

  • It’s so easy to make – no special skills needed.
  • It takes minutes to prepare – nearly effortless.
  • Impressive enough for entertaining but still great for a comforting family dinner too.
  • Rich umami flavours of prosciutto, sundried tomatoes and parmesan.
  • If you have a large gathering, take advantage of the make ahead option.

You can make your pork tenderloin seasoned and super juicy simply by brining it first for even ½ an hour. It makes such a huge difference.

Try this creamy Tuscan chicken or my chicken saltimbocca for more flavourful and impressive Italian recipes.

A slice of pork tenderloin with sauce being spooned over.

Ingredients list

This Italian style stuffed pork tenderloin is made up of two components – the pork wrapped in prosciutto and the sundried tomato pesto stuffing – and only 7 ingredients.

Ingredients for stuffed pork tenderloin.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Pork tenderloin: What is pork tenderloin? Also known as the pork fillet, pork tenderloin is a long thin strip of boneless meat taken from along the spine of the pig. Please note, pork tenderloin is different to pork loin (the latter being a thicker cut of meat so not suited to this recipe.
  • Prosciutto: I love the flavour of prosciutto wrapped around this pork tenderloin. You can replace it with pancetta or even ham cut from the bone or thinly sliced bacon.
  • Sundried tomatoes: Use the sundried tomatoes that come in oil. You’ll use some of that oil in the pesto itself.
  • Macadamias: As with most pestos, this one contains nuts, namely macadamia nuts. You can replace them with pine nuts or even cashews.
  • Garlic: Please use fresh garlic for the best flavour.
  • Parmesan: You only need a tiny bit of parmesan so go all out and buy the real thing. Definitely don’t use the powdered shelf stable variety.
  • Italian herbs: Dried Italian herbs or Tuscan herbs give this richly flavoured recipe the zingy herby pep it needs.

This pesto also works with chicken breast but cooking time will vary depending on their size. A large stuffed chicken breast will take around 20-25 minutes to cook.

You can also use it for stuffed pork loin (different to tenderloin, a much larger cut) and it will take around an hour to cook. This would be best done in a roasting pan.

How to trim pork tenderloin

Almost always, pork tenderloin will come with a strip of silvery sinew, called silverskin, across the top. It’s very quick and easy to trim off.

Lay the pork tenderloin flat on a chopping board with the sinew on the top. Use a small sharp knife to get underneath the leading edge of the sinew, then hold that piece as you gently push the knife along underneath it (photo 1, below).

How to make stuffed pork tenderloin (step-by-step)

A collage of 6 images showing how to make stuffed pork tenderloin.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  1. Arrange the prosciutto: Lay a sheet of baking paper on a large baking sheet. Carefully separate the prosciutto slices from each other one by one and lay them slightly overlapping each other on their longest edge (photo 2). You’ll need the layer of prosciutto to be as long as your tenderloin and 3 times the width.
  2. Prepare the pork: Sit the pork on the long edge of the prosciutto layer, closest to you. Use a sharp knife to slice ¾ of the way into the pork, all the way along it’s length, leaving the two ends intact (photo 3). You don’t need to flatten it out, just make a pocket.
  3. Prepare the pesto: In a small electric blender or food processor, blend the sundried tomatoes, macadamias, garlic, parmesan, herbs and oil to a chunky paste.
  4. Stuff the pork: Press all of the sundried tomato pesto into the cavity you created in the pork (photo 4) then gently pull the edges towards one another. It won’t close over, but just pull it together a bit.
  5. Roll it up: Use the edge of the baking paper to roll the pork and prosciutto away from you (photo 5), all the way to the other side, so the pork is completely surrounded by the prosciutto (photo 6) which will act as natural, delicious kitchen twine.
  6. Roast: Roast the tenderloin for 30 minutes.

There is no need to salt the pork as the prosciutto and the parmesan cheese in the pesto are already salty enough. You can feel free to add a little cracked black pepper though.

How long to cook stuffed pork tenderloin

Pork fillet / tenderloin cooks quite quickly. Use a hot oven  220°C/425°F / 200°C fan and roast for around 30 minutes. Pork is safe to eat when it reaches 63C / 145F on a meat thermometer however if you’re testing it like this, make sure you’re poking the thermometer into the meat and not into the pesto.

Closeup of the inside of stuffed pork tenderloin.

Tips and tricks

Don’t discard the drippings: Use the pan juices to drizzle over the meat when you serve. Filled with flavour from all the components, it imparts wonderful flavour to the meat and looks gorgeous too.

Make ahead: You can prepare this whole dish up to 1 day prior to serving, except for roasting. Make sure it’s covered in plastic wrap so the meat doesn’t dry out in the fridge. If you make only the pesto ahead, make sure to store it in a preserving jar to keep it as fresh as possible.

What to serve with stuffed tenderloin

I have served this with both my fluffy mashed potatoes and a creamy orzo dish. That being said, it works wonderfully with everything from crunchy roast potatoes to this easy parmesan and rocket salad to this creamy broccoli cheese bake.

It’s also great with simple sides like sauteed spinach and mushrooms or a basic creamy pasta.

Yield and storage

One stuffed pork fillet / tenderloin, about 450g-500g (1lb-1.1lb) will feed 4 people. This recipe is easy to double or even triple if you have a larger gathering. I love serving it up on a large platter with mash to the side and letting everyone grab their own.

This recipe can be made without roasting, and stored on a plate covered tightly with plastic wrap the day before.

Once roasted, leftovers (if you’re lucky enough to have any) will reheat well, in the oven at 180C for 10 minutes. I recommend only slicing as much of the pork as you are serving and reheating it in larger portions rather than slices.

A pile of pork tenderloin and potato mash on a serving platter.

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A pile of slices of stuffed pork tenderloin.
5 from 1 rating
Impress your guests with this Italian stuffed pork tenderloin. Wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with a simple, flavoursome sundried tomato pesto this easy dinner recipe comes together in minutes.

Video

Ingredients

  • 1 whole pork tenderloin, roughly 500g / 1.1lb
  • 7-8 slices prosciutto
  • â…“ cup sundried tomatoes, drained but keep the oil, slightly packed (70g / 2.5oz)
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup macadamias (40g / 1.4oz)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons finely grated parmesan, slightly packed (8g / 0.3oz)
  • ¼ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
  • 2 tablespoons oil from the sundried tomato jar (or extra virgin olive oil)

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F / 200°C fan.
  • Lay 7-8 slices prosciutto, overlapping by about â…“, on a sheet of baking paper to roughly the length of your pork tenderloin.
  • Lay the pork onto the prosciutto, perpendicular to the prosciutto. If there is a very thin tip on the pork, fold that over, to even out the thickness overall.
  • Cut a slit, the length of the tenderloin leaving the ends intact.
  • To make the pesto, combine the sun dried tomatoes, macadamias, parmesan, garlic, Italian herbs and oil in a small blender or food processor. Blend until you have a slightly chunky pesto. If the nuts don’t chop down enough, just turn it all out onto a chopping board and give it a chop with a knife.
  • Press the mixture into the slit in the pork, making sure it’s pressed in fairly firmly and evenly all the way along. Pull the edges together a little, then turn the pork so the opening is sitting down on the front edge of the prosciutto.
  • Use the baking paper to roll it up then pull it back into the middle of the baking paper. Lift it using the paper onto a baking tray or roasting pan.
  • Roast 1/2 hour then rest out of the oven and covered in foil, for 10 minutes.
  • Slice the pork and make sure to drizzle all the pan juices over the top.
  • Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.

Notes

  1. Pork tenderloin is not the same as pork loin. Pork tenderloin is a long, thin cut of meat that will serve about 4 people. Pork loin is larger and will take much longer to cook.
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Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.