Saltimbocca alla Romana

Saltimbocca alla Romana is a quick, elegant dish of tender veal, salty prosciutto, and aromatic sage finished in a glossy white-wine butter sauce. The result is savoury, fragrant, and rich without being heavy, with beautifully browned edges and a bright pan sauce.

Nutrition · per serving

470kcal

34gProtein

1.2gCarbs

32gFat

0.1gFiber

2 servings

Ingredients

9 items

Veal, prosciutto and sage

veal escalopes, pounded to 3 mm thick4 x 60 g pieces, 240 g total

prosciutto crudo4 thin slices, about 60 g

fresh sage leaves8 leaves, about 4 g

fine sea salt1 g

freshly ground black pepper1 g

White wine pan sauce

unsalted butter30 g, divided

extra-virgin olive oil10 ml

dry white wine80 ml

chicken or veal stock40 ml

Tips

•For the best texture, use very thin veal escalopes; if they are thicker than 3 mm, place them between baking paper and pound gently from the centre outward.
•Do not flour the veal if keeping the dish low-carb; the sauce will still reduce and emulsify beautifully with butter.
•Choose a dry white wine such as Frascati, Pinot Grigio, or Verdicchio—avoid sweet wines.

Steps

1
Lay the veal escalopes flat and pat them very dry. Season lightly on both sides with the fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; go easy on salt because the prosciutto is already salty.
4 x 60 g pieces, 240 g total veal escalopes, pounded to 3 mm thick1 g fine sea salt1 g freshly ground black pepper
2
Place 1 slice of prosciutto crudo on each veal escalope and top each with 2 fresh sage leaves. Secure each piece with a toothpick, weaving it through the prosciutto and veal without bunching the meat.
4 x 60 g pieces, 240 g total veal escalopes, pounded to 3 mm thick4 thin slices, about 60 g prosciutto crudo8 leaves, about 4 g fresh sage leaves
3
Heat a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 15 g of the unsalted butter and the extra-virgin olive oil; when the butter foams but has not browned, the pan is ready.
30 g, divided unsalted butter10 ml extra-virgin olive oil
4
Add the saltimbocca prosciutto-side down and cook for 60–90 seconds, pressing gently so the ham makes contact with the pan. Turn and cook the veal side for another 60–90 seconds, just until the meat is barely firm and lightly golden; thin veal overcooks quickly.
4 x 60 g pieces, 240 g total veal escalopes, pounded to 3 mm thick4 thin slices, about 60 g prosciutto crudo8 leaves, about 4 g fresh sage leaves
5
Transfer the cooked saltimbocca to a warm plate and rest for 2 minutes while you make the sauce. Remove the toothpicks if they are easy to pull out, or leave them visible and remove before serving.
6
Return the pan to medium-high heat and pour in the dry white wine, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken or veal stock and boil for 2–3 minutes, until reduced by about half and slightly syrupy.
80 ml dry white wine40 ml chicken or veal stock
7
Lower the heat and swirl in the remaining 15 g unsalted butter to emulsify the sauce. The sauce should look glossy and lightly coat the back of a spoon; avoid boiling hard after adding the butter or it may split.
30 g, divided unsalted butter
8
Spoon the white-wine butter sauce over the rested saltimbocca and serve immediately, ideally with sautéed spinach, bitter greens, or a crisp low-carb salad.

Origin & History

Saltimbocca alla Romana is closely associated with Rome and Lazio, though versions are found across Italy. Its name means “jumps in the mouth,” a reference to the lively combination of delicate veal, cured ham, sage, and wine.

roman veal lowcarb quick sautéed white wine prosciutto

Do even more with Gourmate

Cook this recipe in Gourmate — your AI meal planning app.

Plan Meals

Weekly planner at a tap

Ask Questions

Chat with your AI chef

Adjust Recipe

Scale servings & swap ingredients

Cook Mode

Step-by-step guidance

Kitchen Timers

Built-in timers & alerts

Grocery List

Auto-generated shopping lists

Open in App Download Gourmate

Saltimbocca alla Romana

Steps

Lay the veal escalopes flat and pat them very dry. Season lightly on both sides with the fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; go easy on salt because the prosciutto is already salty.

4 x 60 g pieces, 240 g total veal escalopes, pounded to 3 mm thick1 g fine sea salt1 g freshly ground black pepper

Place 1 slice of prosciutto crudo on each veal escalope and top each with 2 fresh sage leaves. Secure each piece with a toothpick, weaving it through the prosciutto and veal without bunching the meat.

4 x 60 g pieces, 240 g total veal escalopes, pounded to 3 mm thick4 thin slices, about 60 g prosciutto crudo8 leaves, about 4 g fresh sage leaves

Heat a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 15 g of the unsalted butter and the extra-virgin olive oil; when the butter foams but has not browned, the pan is ready.

30 g, divided unsalted butter10 ml extra-virgin olive oil

Add the saltimbocca prosciutto-side down and cook for 60–90 seconds, pressing gently so the ham makes contact with the pan. Turn and cook the veal side for another 60–90 seconds, just until the meat is barely firm and lightly golden; thin veal overcooks quickly.

4 x 60 g pieces, 240 g total veal escalopes, pounded to 3 mm thick4 thin slices, about 60 g prosciutto crudo8 leaves, about 4 g fresh sage leaves

Transfer the cooked saltimbocca to a warm plate and rest for 2 minutes while you make the sauce. Remove the toothpicks if they are easy to pull out, or leave them visible and remove before serving.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and pour in the dry white wine, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken or veal stock and boil for 2–3 minutes, until reduced by about half and slightly syrupy.

80 ml dry white wine40 ml chicken or veal stock

Lower the heat and swirl in the remaining 15 g unsalted butter to emulsify the sauce. The sauce should look glossy and lightly coat the back of a spoon; avoid boiling hard after adding the butter or it may split.

30 g, divided unsalted butter

Spoon the white-wine butter sauce over the rested saltimbocca and serve immediately, ideally with sautéed spinach, bitter greens, or a crisp low-carb salad.