Saltimbocca alla Romana is a delicious Italian dish consisting of thin cuts of veal (or chicken or pork if you prefer) wrapped in prosciutto with sage leaves. The dish is typically cooked with dry white wine and butter to make a delicious pan sauce and enjoyed with pasta! This dish is one of our favorites – and surprisingly very simple to make.

What even is Saltimbocca?

A little about the dish: Saltimbocca means “to jump in mouth” in Italian (as far as we know) and for good reason. This is a flavor bomb. It can be served with many things – but we like a little pasta to go with it and something light and green. Beans, peas, greens, asparagus, etc. all work in our opinion. Saltimbocca is considered a Roman dish – where it actually originated is somewhat disputed - but this is where the "alla Romana" comes in, meaning "Roman style." Wherever in Italy this actually originated is for a food history blog, which you won't find a ton of here! But veal cooked in butter and white wine, with prosciutto and sage just screams “jump in my mouth!”

Is Saltimbocca made with Veal, Chicken or Pork?

Traditionally this dish is made with veal scaloppini, or thin slices of veal. Although nothing rivals veal here (opinion alert) you can use thin pieces of pork or chicken if you have some problems finding veal or other personal problems with eating it. However, veal is amazing in this and you’ll be wanting it again and again. We are progressive cooks, so tradition is an aspect of our cooking but not the be-all-end-all. We have tried variations – many – and this is our favorite for its simplicity and taste and, by many standards, quite traditional.

Saltimbocca Asssembly

We cook a “flat” version of saltimbocca typically. It can be rolled as well, which is a little trickier to cook, takes a bit longer, but has a different flavor that you may prefer (or may not) so it’s worth a try. The flat version has prosciutto and sage fixed to the veal by either wrapping the prosciutto around the meat or holding it in place with a toothpick. You will want to place the sage leaves inside the prosciutto unless you want the sage to cook to a crisp (believe us, you do not want this). Cooking the sage between the meat and prosciutto layer will allow it to maintain its flavor and allow the prosciutto to crisp up a bit instead.

Can I omit the flour?

We have tried making saltimbocca with and without dredging in flour, and it is tasty either way. We prefer flouring one side of the veal to develop a bit of texture to the meat and thickness to the sauce, but if you are on a gluten free diet or want to avoid the extra carbs, it doesn't change the taste to omit the flour from this dish.

This is an easy but decadent dish that will impress at a dinner party or just a great dish for one or two at home anytime. Quality veal and good prosciutto and you have an almost foolproof dish. Of course a good wine – think pinot noir or a chianti for reds or a pinot grigio for whites – will make this perfection. We recommend making this with our homemade pasta.

We hope you enjoy this Saltimbocca alla Romana dish! If you give it a try leave us a comment below or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine.

Saltimbocca alla Romana

Recipe by Angela and Mark Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Ingredients

4 pieces of veal scallopini - about the size of your hand and pounded to ¼" thick (alternatively use 2 chicken breasts cut in half horizontally)
4 pieces of thinly sliced prosciutto
4 Sage leaves
1 teaspoon 1 kosher salt
1 teaspoon 1 black pepper
½ cup flour
6 tablespoon 6 unsalted butter (divided)
1 teaspoon 1 olive oil
½ cup white wine (pinot grigio)

Directions

PREPARATION
Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the veal
Place one sage leaf on each piece of veal, then wrap one piece of prosciutto around the veal. If your veal pieces are too large and the prosciutto won't wrap around completely, you can affix the prosciutto to the veal with toothpicks (remove toothpicks before serving).
Dredge both sides of the veal lightly in the flour and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoon butter with olive oil over medium-high heat in a stainless steel pan. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low and add the veal to the pan and cook veal for about 1.5 minutes per side. Since the veal is thin, this should cook the veal through to the desired doneness. Remove to a plate, cover with foil and set aside (or cover and place in on an oven safe tray in a warm oven until ready to serve).
Next, add wine to the pan and deglaze with a wooden spoon. Reduce the wine by about half or until slightly thick and silky.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the last 4 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Once the butter is incorporated, serve the veal with sauce over the top. If making this dish with pasta, toss the cooked pasta in the pan with the sauce before serving.