Thin veal cutlets, salty prosciutto and fragrant sage cook in just a few minutes. White wine and the pan juices make a light sauce in the same pan, bringing everything together.
Saltimbocca alla romana is a Roman dish with a short ingredient list: veal, prosciutto, sage, butter and white wine. The name is often explained as ‘jumps in the mouth’, but its practical appeal lies above all in the contrast: tender meat, salty ham and herbaceous sage, with a bright, savoury sauce. Serve the dish straight from the pan; it’s meant to be quick to prepare and is at its best while the meat is still juicy.
Thin cutlets matter more than a long cooking time. Veal escalopes are often not evenly thin, so if needed, place them between sheets of baking paper and gently flatten them with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small pan. This helps them cook evenly and stay tender. Cook them briefly over medium-high to high heat. Let the prosciutto touch the pan on one side for a moment so it picks up some colour, but don’t cook it for long: the meat can dry out and the ham can turn tough.
Sage has a distinctive, slightly peppery aroma that pairs well with butter and salty ham. Use fresh leaves; dried sage has a different texture and is less suitable for securing to the meat. Choose prosciutto crudo, not cooked ham. Since the ham is already salty, extra salt usually isn’t needed. Dry white wine adds acidity and aroma to the sauce. Use a wine you’d also enjoy drinking at the table; for an alcohol-free version, the same amount of light chicken stock, with a splash of lemon juice added at the end, is a practical alternative.
In this version, the meat isn’t dredged in flour. That keeps things simple, and the sauce gets its flavour mainly from the browned bits and reduced wine; it will be light and glossy rather than thickened. Scrape the bottom of the pan as soon as you add the wine, but don’t reduce the sauce so much that it becomes sharp or sticky. A knob of butter stirred in at the end rounds it out. Taste before adding salt.
Polenta or a simple vegetable, such as green beans, goes well without overpowering the sage. Mashed potatoes work too, as they soak up the sauce nicely. Have your plates and side dishes ready before you start: the cutlets cook faster than a side dish can be prepared. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container within two hours and eat them within two days. Gently reheat the meat and sauce until everything is piping hot; the prosciutto will be softer than when freshly cooked in the pan.
If needed, place the veal escalopes between two sheets of baking paper and gently flatten them to about 5 mm thick. Pat dry.
Place a slice of prosciutto on each cutlet, then top with a sage leaf. Secure with a cocktail stick. Season the meat side lightly with black pepper; don’t add salt.
Heat the olive oil and about half the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the cutlets in batches, meat side down first, for about 1 minute, until lightly browned.
Turn the cutlets over and cook the prosciutto side for 30–45 seconds. Transfer the cooked cutlets to a warm plate. If needed, add some of the remaining butter before cooking the next batch.
Once all the meat is out of the pan, pour in the white wine and water. Scrape up the browned bits and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce is lightly glossy.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining butter. Return the saltimbocca to the pan and briefly turn them in the sauce, just until warmed through. Remove the cocktail sticks and serve immediately with the sauce.
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