Chances are, if you know anything about Italian food, you’ve heard of saltimbocca alla romana, veal scallops sautéed in butter with prosciutto and sage, then simmered in white wine. It’s a simple dish, full of robust flavor like much Roman cookery. But not as many people know its southern cousin, saltimbocca alla sorrentina. Like its Roman counterpart, the veal scallops are sautéed, but then, rather than simmering in white wine until done, they are quickly gratinéed in a hot oven with a tomato sauce and mozzarella topping, just like gnocchi alla sorrentina.

It’s a quick and easy dish to make, as tasty in its own rather more delicate way as the Roman version. And you can easily make saltimbocca alla sorrentina ahead of time, giving it a quick final turn in the oven whenever you’re ready to serve.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

For the tomato sauce:

One small can (400g/14 oz) canned tomatoes
A sprig of fresh parsley or a few fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

For sautéing the veal:

750g (1-1/2 lbs) veal scallops, or about 10 scallops
Salt and pepper
Flour
Butter
Olive oil
White wine

For the gratinée:

A small ball of mozzarella, about 100g (3-1/2 oz), cut into slices
One slice of prosciutto per veal scallop, about 100g (3-1/2 oz)
White wine
Olive oil

Directions

Put the canned tomatoes, passed through a food mill, along with fresh parsley, salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, in a saucepan and let simmer for 10 minutes or so, until reduced but not too thick.

Trim off any fat or gristle from the veal scallops. Pat them dry, then lightly pound them with a meat pounder or the back of a skillet to flatten them out a little. Season them generously on both sides with salt and pepper.

Season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper, then lightly dust them with flour. Then, over a lively flame, brown them lightly on both sides in a combination of butter and olive oil, working in batches if need be. As they brown, remove the scallops to a baking dish large enough to hold them all in one layer, which you will have greased with a bit of olive oil. Degrease the skillet with a good splash of white wine, and nap the veal scallops with the juices.

Lay a slice of prosciutto over each veal scallop, trimmed if need be to roughly fit the size of the scallop. Over the prosciutto lay a slice or two of the mozzarella. Then nap each scallop lightly with a spoonful or two of the tomato sauce. Drizzle a bit more white wine along the sides into the baking dish. The drizzle some olive oil over the scallops.

Bake the scallops in a very hot (260C/500F) oven for 5 minutes or so, just until the wine is bubbling and the cheese has completely melted. Serve your saltimbocca alla sorrentina hot from the baking dish, sprinkled if you like with a bit of fresh parsley for color.

Notes on Saltimbocca alla sorrentina

The initial searing of the scallops should be very quick, as should the gratinée in the oven at the end, to avoid overcooking. Another point to bear in mind: You should not lay on the tomato sauce too thick, as it would overwhelm the delicate flavor of the veal. If you wind up with some extra tomato sauce, use it for pasta or other purposes.

Otherwise, this is a very straight-forward, forgiving dish.

Alternatives to veal

Veal is an expensive meat, and not always easy to find these days. Some aspects of veal production have made it a controversial meat for many. If you don’t have access to veal or if you have ethical objections to consuming veal, or you just don’t want to spend the money, you can substitute slices of pork loin or turkey breast with quite acceptable results.

Pork or turkey may be better choices, anyway, at least here in the US. In Italy, males calves are slaughtered for veal while they are still suckling. Their meat is cream-colored, velvety and delicately flavored. In the US, by contrast, the calves are nearly mature. They are often already feeding on a grass or grain diet. This results in a less tender, darker, ‘beefier’ tasting meat, which would more properly called vitellone in Italian. I’m not sure it is worth the premium price at which it’s sold. I understand that milk-fed veal is produced in the US, but I haven’t found it and I’m sure it must cost a King’s ransom.

And while pork and turkey are common substitutes for veal in Italy, Americans would probably more like favor opting for chicken breast. The breast should be cut into half lengthwise and pounded flat. It’s also a OK choice in its own right, if rather less veal-like. Chicken breast tends to be bland, so be generous with the seasonings. And be especially careful with cooking times, as chicken breast dries out very quickly.

Variations

Recipes also vary slightly in the flavorings. In some, dried oregano seasons the tomato sauce rather than fresh parsley or basil, in others salami stands in for prosciutto. In some dishes, a dusting of Parmesan cheese goes on top of the tomato sauce before baking. And you can grease the baking dish with butter instead of oil.

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