Chicken-Prosciutto Pinwheels in Wine Sauce — When Love Deserves Something Celebratory

Arvind and Dina. Arvind called on Tuesday with news: he's been seeing someone. A woman named Dina Marchetti — Italian-American, physical therapist from Trenton. They met through Marco (Arvind's business partner, whose cousin is Dina's colleague — the New Jersey six degrees of separation). "How long?" I asked. "Four months." "FOUR MONTHS and you're just telling me now?" "I wanted to be sure." "Sure of what?" "That she's not going to run when she meets the family." Fair point. Our family is a lot. Amma alone is a lot. Introducing a non-Indian woman to Lakshmi Krishnamurthy requires preparation, courage, and excellent food. "She's Italian-American," I said. "Half Italian, half Irish. From Trenton." "Amma is going to have opinions." "Amma has opinions about everything. That's not going to stop me from dating a woman I love." Love. He said love. Arvind, my guarded, rebuilt, careful brother, said love out loud, on the phone, to his sister. "I'm happy for you," I said. And I meant it with every cell. "Don't tell Amma yet." "I won't. But she'll know. She always knows." I made Amma's chicken biryani for dinner — the celebratory version. Not because Arvind asked me to celebrate (he'd be mortified) but because love deserves biryani. Love always deserves biryani. The biryani was perfect. Arvind is in love. The world is still a pandemic. But love doesn't wait for pandemics, and biryani doesn't care about social distancing. Dina Marchetti. I can't wait to meet her. I can't wait to see Amma's face when she does.

I made Amma’s biryani that night because love deserves a celebration, even a quiet, private one — but I’ve been thinking ever since about what I’d cook the first time Dina actually comes to the table. Something that honors the occasion without making anyone feel like they’re being tested. These Chicken-Prosciutto Pinwheels in Wine Sauce felt exactly right: a little Italian, a little celebratory, and elegant enough to signal that she matters without a word being said. Arvind said love out loud, and that deserves something worthy of a proper dinner.

Chicken-Prosciutto Pinwheels in Wine Sauce

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
• 4 thin slices prosciutto
• 1/2 cup shredded provolone or low-moisture mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup dry white wine (such as pinot grigio)
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
• Toothpicks or kitchen twine, for securing

Instructions

1. Pound the chicken. Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Fill and roll. Season the inside of each breast lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Lay one slice of prosciutto over each breast, then scatter 2 tablespoons of cheese and a few torn basil leaves over the prosciutto. Starting at the short end, roll each breast tightly into a pinwheel and secure with 2–3 toothpicks.
3. Brown the pinwheels. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Season the outside of each pinwheel with salt and pepper. Sear, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 5–6 minutes total. Transfer pinwheels to a plate.
4. Build the wine sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
5. Finish cooking. Return the pinwheels to the skillet. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 15–18 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
6. Finish the sauce. Transfer the pinwheels to a serving platter and remove toothpicks. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer the pan sauce for 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly. Remove from heat and swirl in the butter until the sauce is glossy.
7. Serve. Spoon the wine sauce generously over the pinwheels and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread, mashed potatoes, or roasted vegetables.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 385 | Protein: 43g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 4g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 610mg