Recipe Review: Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

Loving Italian food, I’m always drawn to recipes with pancetta or proscuitto, but I have yet to try one. Until now. I came across a recipe for Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca. Another great recipe from Cooking Light. There is a great Italian restaurant here in St. Cloud, called Ciatti’s, that has a wonderful gluten-free menu. The last time we were there I tried the Chicken Saltimbocca and it was heavenly. I really wanted to try making it myself. Albeit a healthier version.

This recipe for Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca calls for proscuitto. There is a difference in proscuitto and pancetta and they explain it very well at this link. Basically, proscuitto is Italian ham and pancetta is Italian bacon (although unsmoked). Both are cured and sliced very thin, but proscuitto is saltier than pancetta. I found both in the deli section of my grocery store, displayed with the specialty cheeses.

Sage Leaves

The other unique ingredient in the recipe is fresh sage leaves. I don’t cook much with the herb sage, so I’m a little unfamiliar with it. I am familiar with the adjective sage, however, since that is what my personality is much of the time: prudent, thoughtful and perceptive. The herb has a peppery flavor and is used often in Italian cooking.

I was nervous about this dish, because of the assembly and worrying that it would fall apart while cooking. I took a photo before I cooked it because I was afraid it was going to be a mess after, but my worries were unfounded. They came out beautifully! I just recommend tucking the ends of the proscuitto underneath the chicken, then cooking the chicken with the ends-side down first. This assures that the ends of the proscuitto cooks and melds together with the chicken and won’t unravel when you flip them over.

I served this with green beans and Roasted Rosemary Red Potatoes. I will post my recipe for these potatoes next, so stay tuned! All in all, I would give this chicken recipe a solid 4 stars (out of 5). The sauce was light, but tart, and the flavors all melded together nicely. This recipe is also perfect for those with IBS or fructose malabsorption, with a few minor changes.