Italian recipe

Saltimbocca alla Romana

Name: Saltimbocca alla Romana
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian cuisine
Ingredients: 8 pieces / about 600 g veal cutlets, pounded to 5 mm; 8 slices / 120 g prosciutto crudo; 8 fresh sage leaves; 20 g plain flour, for a light dusting; 20 ml olive oil; 120 ml dry white wine; 40 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed; 1 g fine salt; 1 g ground black pepper

Thin veal cutlets topped with prosciutto and sage, quickly pan-seared and finished with a white-wine butter sauce.

Italy

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 4

Veal saltimbocca topped with prosciutto and sage in glossy wine-butter sauce — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Alec VuijlstekeSource page · Original file · CC BY 2.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

8 pieces / about 600 g
veal cutlets, pounded to 5 mm
8 slices / 120 g
prosciutto crudo
8
fresh sage leaves
20 g
plain flour, for a light dusting
20 ml
olive oil
120 ml
dry white wine
40 g
unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 g
fine salt
1 g
ground black pepper

Method

01
Assemble the cutlets
Lay each cutlet flat, season the meat side lightly with salt and pepper, top with one prosciutto slice and one sage leaf, and secure the sage with a toothpick. Dust only the plain underside lightly with flour.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Sear the veal side
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook in two batches, veal side down first, for 90 seconds until lightly golden.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Warm the prosciutto side
Turn carefully and cook the prosciutto side for 30–45 seconds only. Transfer to a warm plate; the veal should be just cooked and still tender.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Reduce the wine
Pour wine into the hot skillet, scrape the browned bits, and boil 2–3 minutes until reduced by about half. Remove the pan from heat.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Mount with butter and serve
Swirl in cold butter a few cubes at a time until glossy. Return cutlets briefly to coat, remove toothpicks, and spoon the sauce over each piece before serving.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Preheat the oven fully before baking so the centre and surface cook on schedule.
Rest the finished dish briefly before cutting so steam and juices settle.

Common mistakes

Do not rely only on surface colour; check the centre for the stated doneness cue.
Overfilling the pan traps steam and prevents proper browning.

Substitutions

A similarly sized metal or ceramic baking dish can be used; adjust the final minutes if browning differs.
Use the closest local equivalent of the specified cheese, but keep the quantity unchanged for balance.

Storage

Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Saltimbocca alla Romana is a Roman-style combination of veal, prosciutto and sage whose name suggests that it “jumps in the mouth.”

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Saltimbocca alla Romana — Photograph by Alec Vuijlsteke; CC BY 2.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Italian recipes

Saltimbocca alla Romana

Ingredients

Method

Assemble the cutlets

Sear the veal side

Warm the prosciutto side

Reduce the wine

Mount with butter and serve

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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