Saltimbocca alla Romana
Saltimbocca alla Romana, literally 'jumps in the mouth' in Roman dialect, is said to owe its name to how quickly the thin cutlets cook and how eagerly they disappear from the plate. Though firmly associated with Rome today, food historians trace early versions of the dish to Brescia in Lombardy, where a similar veal, ham, and sage combination appears in 19th-century cookbooks well before it became a fixture of Roman trattorias. The Roman version standardized the use of prosciutto crudo and fresh sage, cooked briefly in butter and finished with white wine, a method that spread through central Italy by the early 20th century. Today it remains one of the simplest classic Roman secondi, prized precisely because its few ingredients leave no room for a cook to hide behind complexity.
Thin veal, quickly seared
Veal escalopes are pounded paper-thin and cook in barely two minutes per side, keeping the meat tender.
Prosciutto crudo, never cooked ham
A single slice of dry-cured Parma prosciutto is pressed onto each escalope, its saltiness seasoning the meat as it cooks.
Sage pinned in place
A fresh sage leaf is fixed to the prosciutto with a toothpick, releasing its aroma into the butter as it fries.
A quick white wine pan sauce
The pan is deglazed with white wine and butter right after cooking, turning the drippings into a glossy sauce in seconds.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 8 thin veal escalopes (about 500g total)
- 8 slices prosciutto crudo (Parma ham)
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 50g butter
- Flour, for dusting
- 100ml dry white wine
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Toothpicks, to secure
How to make it
- 1Place the veal escalopes between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them gently until very thin and even.
- 2Lay a sage leaf on top of each escalope, then press a slice of prosciutto over it, securing everything with a toothpick.
- 3Dust the prosciutto side lightly with flour, shaking off the excess.
- 4Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium-high heat and place the escalopes prosciutto-side down, cooking for about two minutes until golden.
- 5Flip carefully and cook the other side for one more minute, until the veal is just cooked through.
- 6Remove the escalopes to a warm plate, then pour the white wine into the pan, scraping up the browned bits as it bubbles.
- 7Let the sauce reduce slightly for a minute, then pour it over the escalopes and serve immediately.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
