Veal Scallopini

Veal scallopini is a tasty Italian-American dinner that cooks in a flash due to the thinly sliced veal cutlets and use of simple ingredients! In my recipe, the tender portions of fried veal are nestled in a bed of angel hair pasta, then covered with a delicious piccata sauce that consists of white wine, lemon juice, and capers!

Veal Scallopini & Piccata Sauce

One of my favorite last-minute dinners, veal scallopini is always a hit! The term 'scallopini' refers to thinly sliced meat cutlets (in this case veal), that are pan-fried until tender.

Because the meat is so thin, it only takes 2-3 minutes per side for them to be cooked to tender perfection. I serve mine with a simple piccata sauce and angel hair pasta, both of which take almost no time at all!

Jump to:

• Veal Scallopini & Piccata Sauce
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
• 🍝 More Italian-Inspired Recipes!
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Comments & Reviews

🥘 Ingredients

Jot down this grocery list to take to the store. Although I use angel hair pasta here, any pasta would be delicious!

Veal Scallopini

• ¼ cup Cooking Oil - Canola oil, avocado oil, or peanut oil are all good choices, but you can use whatever your preferred oil for frying is.
• 4 tablespoons Butter - Divided into 2 portions of 2 tablespoons each.
• 16 ounces Veal Cutlets - Roughly 4 ounces each and approximately ¼-inch thick.
• ½ cup All-purpose Flour - This is what makes your veal crispy!
• ½ tsp each, Salt & Pepper - Plus more, to taste, for seasoning the cutlets before dredging and for the piccata sauce as needed.
• Seasoning - ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon paprika.

Piccata Sauce & Pasta

• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil - Extra virgin.
• ½ cup Dry White Wine - Sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or pinot blanc have citrus notes that would pair well with this sauce.
• 2 tablespoons Chicken Broth (optional) - Just for flavor (*see note).
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice - Lemon juice and white wine are what give piccata sauce its signature flavor.
• 2 tablespoons Capers - Capers are salty and somewhat tart, so add salt once the sauce is complete only if desired.
• 8 ounces Angel Hair Pasta - Cooked to al dente texture per package instructions.

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*

🔪 Instructions

To make it easier, I broke this recipe up into 2 sections- making the veal scallopini and making the piccata sauce. I usually cook my pasta as I'm making the piccata sauce so the noodles don't clump together while they sit.

Veal Scallopini

1. Prep. Heat ¼ cup of your preferred cooking oil and the first 2 tablespoon portion of butter in a large pan or skillet over medium heat.
2. Season. Season your veal with ½ teaspoon each of salt & pepper. Then, grab a shallow bowl or dish that you will be able to fit your 16 ounces of veal into. In the dish combine ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon paprika.
3. Dredge. Individually dredge each veal cutlet in the seasoned flour blend, then place it carefully in your hot pan with the oil and butter. Do not crowd your pan, work in batches if necessary.
4. Cook. Let each veal cutlet cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Just enough for them to develop a golden, crispy exterior. Once done, remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack over paper towels to drain and begin making your sauce.

Piccata Sauce

1. Wipe pan and add oil. Wipe any brown bits and crumbs from the pan with a paper towel, some oil residue is OK. Then, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bring it back to medium-high heat. Stir the oil as it warms, then stir in ½ cup dry white wine. Scrape any remaining brown bits from the pan and bring the sauce to a boil and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
2. Melt and stir. Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Let it melt, then remove your pan from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of capers.
3. Serve. If desired, you may toss your prepared 8 ounces of angel hair pasta with the piccata sauce. Otherwise, serve your veal scallopini on top of the pasta and pour the sauce over it. Serve right away.

If you really want a meal that is restaurant-worthy, serve your veal scallopini with some crispy garlic bread! A glass of white wine wouldn't hurt, either. Enjoy!

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

• Plan ahead for extra tender veal! Soaking the veal overnight in milk really helps boost the tenderness. Just place your veal in a shallow dish, add milk until the veal is fully submerged, and cover it with plastic wrap. Keep it in the fridge until 30 minutes before cooking.
• Add lemon zest for some extra flavor! Use the juice from a zested lemon and add the zest to your piccata sauce to make it extra citrussy.
• Chicken broth is optional. However, adding it to the piccata sauce adds a wonderful depth of flavor!
• Use a wire rack. Rather than setting the veal cutlets on paper towels once they are done cooking, place them on a wire rack. Setting hot meat on greasy or wet paper towels will steam the meat and make your veal less crispy.
• Storage: Leftover veal piccata should be wrapped tightly or placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 15-20 minutes.
• Freezing: Ideally, veal scallopini would be separated from any sauce before freezing. Wrap the veal in foil or plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as normal.

🍝 More Italian-Inspired Recipes!

• Baked Italian Meatballs
• Chicken and Peppers
• Margherita Sheet Pan Pizza
• Lasagna
• Spaghetti Bolognese
• Frutti di Mare

📖 Recipe Card