Saltimbocca alla Romana

Saltimbocca is a classic Roman veal dish. In fact, it is so typically Roman that the name Saltimbocca alla Romana seems redundant to me. But, that’s what it was called on my father’s menu, so I am sticking with it.

This is a great dish to serve for company. Plate it over some sautèed spinach and it will make quite an impression. The literal translation of saltimbocca is “jump in the mouth”, and that’s precisely what this tasty combination of veal, prosciutto, sage and white wine will do.

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Saltimbocca alla Romana

Saltimbocca alla Romana Recipe


  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 slices prosciutto
  • 8 veal scalloppine, thinly sliced and pounded
  • flour spread on a plate for dredging
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 8 sage leaves
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Place one slice of prosciutto on each veal scalloppine and pound in lightly with a meat pounder.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Dredge both sides of the scalloppine in flour to coat, shaking off any excess. Place them prosciutto side down in pan and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer to a warm plate.
  3. Drain oil from pan, place back over heat and add butter. When butter is melted add sage and sauté for one minute.
  4. Add the white wine and scrape loose any bits from bottom of pan, then add the chicken broth and salt and pepper.
  5. Place scalloppine back in pan, prosciutto side up and cook until sauce is reduced by half and scalloppine are heated through.
  6. Transfer veal to serving plates, two scalloppine per person, spoon sauce over top and serve.
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins

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27 Responses

    1. Great dish, simply a great dish.
      Keep the Politics out of the kitchen, please enjoy food.
      EAT, you only live once!
      Thank you Chef, this one reminded me of my childhood (I’m 76), I miss my family, thank you for the wonderful reminder
      Buon Appetito

      1. Great dish, simply a great dish.
        Keep the Politics out of the kitchen, please enjoy food.
        EAT, you only live once!
        Thank you Chef, this one reminded me of my childhood (I’m 76), I miss my family, thank you for the wonderful reminder
        Buon Appetito

  1. ESCAROLE MY FRIEND, NOT SPINACH IS THE TRADITIONAL WAY TO SERVE THIS.
    WASH ESCAROLE THOROUGHLY -DRY IT AND THEN SAUTE WITH OLIVE OIL AND GARLIC PLUS A PINCH OR SIX OF SEA SALT. MANGA…..

    1. Joel, escarole would definitely go great with it too. I just prefer spinach. I’m not sure what vegetable to serve with it is something to get too dogmatic about

      1. Beet greens, Spinach and Swiss Chard are nice but high in OXALATES which can increase pain, formation of kidney stones, irritation of mucous membranes. So maybe RAPINI is best for myself. As an Italian myself and lived in Italy I never cooked Rapini…lol. I’m going to get some.

  2. @joel goodman: I agree with Phil Torre. Spinach is preferable as its fineness complients this dish well with escarole being a touch too bitter. There would be no traditional way to serve a “contorno” with this dish which is offered on its own.
    (BTW-Manga are Japanese comics, the proper address would be “Prego mangiare”,”mangi”, or “mangia” if they were friends. 😉

  3. Trying to find a nice piece of veal in the Northwest is like trying to find unicorns. I miss east coast food.

    1. Duddie:

      Veal is no longer politically correct, and I can’t cook veal worth beans. In its place, I faux it a bit with thinly cut port tenderloin. It’s not xact, but the texture is somewhat similar – and it’s cheaper.

  4. I enjoy with thinly sliced eggplant also! It doesn’t matter what vegetable really, though, they are all amazing!

  5. My all-time favorite Saltimbocca is found at Forlinis Restaurant in Little Italy, Manhattan. They use escarole, artichokes, and, what I think take some it to a new level, slices of boiled egg. When you get all the components in the “one bite,” it’s incredible!

    1. Edited:

      My all-time favorite Saltimbocca is found at Forlinis Restaurant in Little Italy, Manhattan. They use escarole, artichokes, and, what I think takes it to the next level, slices of boiled egg. When you get all the components in that “one bite,” it’s incredible!

  6. The best saltimboca I ever had was in a small restuarant in Stuttgart Vaihingen caled Far Diavoilo’s. It was served with spinach in a lemon botter sauce and the veal was “melt in the mouth” done……the spinch was sauted with garlic in the lemon butter sauce.

  7. I made this recently, and my dinner companion loved it. She finished off the broth as if it were soup. Simply delicious! I do put a sage leaf underneath the prosciutto, though – as well as the 8 leaves in the sauce.

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