Saltimbocca alla romana, The original recipe

When we speak of saltimbocca, some Italians may recall those delicious sandwiches from Campania made out of pizza dough. However, the real saltimbocca is a classic Roman dish, a delicious plate that has crossed international borders. The perfect dinner or lunch recipe. It is generally made with veal, layered with prosciutto and salvia, then marinated in white wine, oil or salt water, depending on where it is made. So where does its name derive from? Saltimbocca literally means “jump in your mouth”, probably originating from the deliciousness of the dish, which immediately makes you want to eat it. It is probable that name also suggests that you can just toss the bite-sized veal slices in your mouth and much them down in one bite. Some people prefer to roll up the meat, making it into small stuffed meat rolls. Others replace prosciutto with speck ham or add capers and season it with brandy. Here, we give you the original recipe.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients for 4 servings

4 veal cutlets

8 slices of prosciutto

8 sage leaves

30 g of butter

½ a glass of white wine

Salt

Pepper

Directions

Remove all visible fat from the veal cutlets. Wrap the meat in baking paper and flatten it slightly with a meat mallet. Wash and dry the sage, then place a slice of prosciutto and a sage leaf on each slice of meat, then put a toothpick through it to keep it all together. In a large skillet, melt the butter and when it starts to brown, lay the saltimbocca on the pan for a couple of minutes on each side. Once browned, pour the white wine then add salt and pepper as desired. To taste this Roman dish properly, we recommend you accompany it with seasonal vegetables, roasted potatoes or salad.