Italian Sushi Is the Party Appetizer You Didn’t Know You Needed
Bring this to any party. Watch what happens.
Italian sushi is prosciutto, salami, and burrata — rolled up with arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. It looks like you went to culinary school. It takes ten minutes and requires zero cooking. This is the appetizer you make when you want to show up to something and actually make an impression.
The concept is Italian charcuterie, rolled like sushi. It eats like a very good bite of everything at once: salty cured meat, creamy burrata, peppery arugula, sweet balsamic. Every single person at the table will ask what this is.
Ingredients Notes + Substitutions
- Prosciutto & Salami: These are your “seaweed”—thin, salty, and easy to roll.
- Burrata: The creamy center of it all. You can also use mozzarella, goat cheese, or ricotta.
- Arugula or Spinach: For that fresh bite and a little texture.
- Basil: A few fresh leaves bring so much classic Italian flavor.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: They add a punch of sweet, chewy richness.
- Olive Oil + Balsamic Glaze: For the finishing drizzle.
How To Roll It
The rolling technique:
Lay the prosciutto slices overlapping lengthwise on your cutting board to form a rectangle. Add the salami in a second layer. Spread or dollop the burrata across the surface, leaving a half-inch border. Add the arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil.
Here’s the key: roll from the long edge, not the short edge. Starting at the long side gives you more layers and a tighter roll. Pull the edge up and over firmly, using your fingertips to keep everything tucked in as you roll forward. The burrata will spread slightly and act as the “glue” that holds everything together.
Slice into one-inch rounds with a sharp knife. If they’re not holding their shape, a toothpick through the center of each piece keeps them together for serving.
How to Make Italian Sushi
- Prep the base: Layer the prosciutto and salami so they slightly overlap.
- Layer the fillings: Add basil, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, and torn burrata, seasonings, and balsamic glaze.
- Roll it up: Starting from the long edge, roll everything up tightly, like a sushi roll.
- Cut and serve: Slice into 6-8 pieces and serve with an extra drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Make-Ahead and Serving
Can you make Italian sushi ahead?
You can assemble the roll up to two hours before serving and refrigerate it unsliced, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Slice right before serving so the burrata doesn’t dry out. Don’t slice and then refrigerate the cut edges dry quickly.
What to serve with it:
This works as a standalone appetizer or as part of a charcuterie spread. Serve with crusty sliced baguette, crackers, or alongside a bowl of olives. A light prosecco or crisp white wine is the obvious pairing.
Tips & Variations
- Make it ahead: Prep the roll a few hours early and slice just before serving.
- Try different cheeses: Goat cheese, ricotta, or even spreadable herbed cheese works great.
- Add-ins: Chopped olives, roasted red peppers, toasted pine nuts, roasted garlic, or a touch of hot honey are all delicious options.
- Change up the meat: Swap or add prosciutto cotto, capicola, or Italian ham.
FAQ
Italian sushi is made from prosciutto and salami layered together, filled with burrata, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil, rolled up, and sliced into rounds. It’s finished with a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
No. Just a cutting board, a sharp knife, and your hands.
Yes. Common variations: swap burrata for ricotta or whipped cream cheese, add thinly sliced roasted peppers, use basil pesto instead of fresh leaves. The prosciutto is the wrapper keep that as the outer layer.
Assemble and refrigerate the roll (unsliced) up to two hours ahead. Slice right before serving.
Yes, naturally. No bread, no pasta, no flour.
Like a very good bite of Italian charcuterie. Salty and savory from the cured meats, creamy from the burrata, peppery from the arugula, sweet and tangy from the balsamic. It doesn’t taste like sushi the name is just about the shape.
Italian Sushi
Save this Recipe!
Ingredients
- 7 slices prosciutto
- 5-7 slices Italian salami
- 3-4 fresh basil leaves
- 1-2 cups arugula or spinach
- 1 ball of burrata
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- Kosher salt black pepper, and oregano to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Balsamic glaze to taste
Instructions
- Line a cutting board with parchment paper. Lay the slices of prosciutto down parallel to each other, making sure the edges overlap. Then do the same with the salami.7 slices prosciutto, 5-7 slices Italian salami
- Then, add the leaves of fresh basil across the center of the prosciutto so that it spans all seven pieces. Add the arugula on top. Arrange the sun dried tomatoes on top, then tear open the ball of burrata and spread it evenly on top of the sun dried tomatoes. Sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. Finally, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.3-4 fresh basil leaves, 1-2 cups arugula, 1 ball of burrata, 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, Kosher salt, Extra virgin olive oil to taste, Balsamic glaze to taste
- Starting at the long edge, wrap the prosciutto up and over the filling, doing your best to keep each piece of prosciutto connected to one another. Continue to roll it tightly, like a sushi roll, until you have a long log. Cut into 6-8 even pieces and serve right away with more balsamic glaze.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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How many slices does this serve? I’m serving six people and plan to double the recipe. Would it give me 12 slices for 2 each? It doesn’t specify. Thanks!
Hi there! The recipe says to cut the roll into 6–8 pieces, so a single batch would likely serve 6 people as an appetizer, with each person getting 1 piece (or a few people getting 2 if cut into 8).
If you double the recipe, you’d end up with about 12–16 pieces total, so serving 6 people 2 pieces each should work perfectly. You may even have a few extra slices if you cut them on the smaller side.
I have made this twice in the past 2 weeks, love it!😋😋😋
Thank you so much!
Your recipe is super! People who leave there rude comments need to get a life and stop trying to hurt another person that’s what’s wrong with society, stand together, support each other be kind not a bunch of assholes
Thank you Alicia:)
Just a heads up that in step 3 of the recipe card instructions you say to roll starting from the short edge (which wouldn’t end well), but in the blog instructions above that you say to roll starting from the long edge (correct). You may want to update that as I imagine most people are ready from the card.
Thank you MJ! I’ve updated the recipe.
Can I offer some advise…this is not sushi. At all. Sushi is a cultured art of Japan. Can you call it something else? Like Italian roll, or something.
It can be seen as disrespectful to the Japanese culture.
Just a suggestion.
Hey Haley! Totally fair! Of course that’s never my intention. It’s just a play on words and my version of the viral recipe that’s all over the internet using this same name.
Holy Toledo Haley, cripes, sheesh, and get a life. We all know sushi means rice, but it’s a cute and delicious sounding idea what Molly made.
I agree with Fred. Ps love the recipe.
Thank you Joyce! 🙂
YESSSS! Wilma fixed this for me and it was delicious!
Im sorry but thats sooo silly. I guarantee they wouldn’t be offended. Thst would be just ridiculous.