Have you ever tried super tender veal cutlets topped with Italian prosciutto and scented with sage?
Pan fried in white wine and butter sauce they simply “jump in your mouth”.
And that’s, by the way, is exactly what the word “saltimbocca means”
Jump in the mouth - Salta in bocca - Saltimbocca.
Made only of few really basic ingredients: veal, prosciutto, butter and sage it’s so simple, so much flavor and so much Italian 😀
Saltimbocca is a typical dish to Lazio region and Rome in particular.
And, of course, like all Italian recipes, it gets tweaked in each family.
For example:
Some prefer to dredge veal and prosciutto slices in flour before they got into the pan. Flour gives an extra browning to the cutlets and adds nice creaminess to the sauce.
Once saltimbocca scalloppine are ready, you can put an extra dollop of butter in the pan, along with a few more sage leaves and let it simmer for a minute or two before topping saltimbocca with the sauce. Extra butter and sage give another kick to the flavors.
On the basic side of the deal, you can skip white wine and go with water or stock where white wine is used.
I also came across some versions where veal slices with prosciutto and sage were rolled into an “involtino” or a roll and pan-fried in the sauce that way.
This last one, goes well beyond the authentic Roman way, but hey, your kitchen your rules ans YOUR Saltimbocca 😉
Full Recipe
Saltimbocca Alla Romana
Ingredients
- 8 slices veal cutlets , thinly cut and pounded top rounds
- 8 slices prosciutto crudo
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 oz butter
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt , pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place veal slice on a piece of parchment paper and cover it with the remaining end. Pound with meat tenderizer or meat pounder until it becomes super thin and soft.
- If the veal slice got to large cut it in half. In this case 4 slices of meat will be enough to make 8 satimbocca.Repeat the same process with remaining slices.
- Lay prosciutto slice over each slice of veal, top with sage leaf and secure all together with a toothpick.
- In a large pan heat butter with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.Once butter is melted place veal cutlets sage side down.
- Add white wine.
Cook until lightly browned then flip over and cook on the other side. - Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep in my that prosciutto is already salty so you’ll need just a tiny pinch of salt if any.
- Serve immediately topped with the sauce from the pan where saltimbocca was cooked.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Buon Appetito!
Lawrence Galea says
For 7 min to cook a bit to much I prefer it cooked for 5 min 3 on the first side and 2 on the other it will be perfect.