20 Minute Italian Chicken Prosciutto Saltimbocca

20 Minute Italian Chicken Prosciutto Saltimbocca is a quick and easy weeknight chicken dinner recipe that is packed with flavor from less than 10 ingredients, most that you may already have on hand.

Italian food is something that we don’t make a ton of at home and I’m really not sure why. Maybe it’s because our favorite spaghetti sauce needs to simmer for a few hours or homemade gnocchi which is a bit labor intensive (totally worth it). Really it’s silly because of course Italian’s have simple and quick meals, everyone needs them!

So I was really excited to get a chance to review the 20 Minute Italian cookbook by Andrea Soranidis. She put together an impressive collection of quick and easy recipes that are packed with flavor. Many recipes are on the more unique end which if you’ve followed me for a while you know that we love!

We made this chicken prosciutto saltimbocca from her cookbook and it was fabulous. My son was raving over it and he is not the biggest chicken fan. This cookbook will be a great addition to help you vary up your weeknight dinners so make sure you get your own copy!

Ingredients

• all purpose flour
• chicken cutlets
• Parma prosciutto
• fresh sage leaves
• extra virgin olive oil
• ground black pepper
• butter
• white wine

What are chicken cutlets?

Chicken cutlets are chicken breast pieces that have been pounded into a thinner, even piece. They are terrific cuts for busy weeknight dinners because they cook so quickly!

My local grocery store was out of chicken cutlets so I made my own and it still turned out great even if it did take a few more minutes to do it myself. There’s a great article here that explains how to cut chicken breasts into cutlets.

What is prosciutto?

Prosciutto is a staple of Italian cuisine. It is a thinly cut, salted and cured ham which is safe to eat right out of the package so don’t feel bad about snagging a bit to eat before making your saltimbocca. Porsciutto is wildly available at most major grocery stores and can usually be found near the deli department.

Substitutions

If you want a stronger flavor swap the sage leaves for a sprig of rosemary.

The traditional recipe is made with thinly sliced veal if you want to go that route instead.

How to make this

• Arrange the flour in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken cutlet into the flour and coat evenly, then shake off the excess and arrange the cutlets on a chopping board.
• Gently layer a slice of Parma prosciutto onto each cutlet, top with a sage leaf and secure with a cocktail stick.
• Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken cutlets in a single later, ham (prosciutto) side down. Sear the chicken cutlets for 2 minutes, until the bottom is colored and crispy.
• Flip the chicken cutlets, and season with pepper. Continue searing for 3 more minutes, until the bottom is browned and the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the pan and arrange the chicken saltimbocca on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Add the butter to the pan and cook until foamy. Pour in the wine and shake the pan vigorously until the sauce reaches a velvety consistency. Divide the chicken saltimbocca between the four plates, pour the sauce on top and serve immediately.

What to serve with this

There are lots of side dishes you could serve with this. Here are some good options:

• Lemon Pesto Pasta (without the meatballs)
• Parmesan Garlic Green Beans
• Apple, Bacon and Goat Cheese Salad
• Caprese Salad
• Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad

Recipe