Spicy Chicken With Prosciutto And Cheese

The "Spicy Chicken Saltimbocca"

This "Spicy Chicken Saltimbocca" was born out of a series of mistakes and misremembrances. From the time I was a kid until now, my favorite dish to order at an Italian restaurant is the saltimbocca. If it is on the menu, I'm ordering it.

When I was a kid, we barely ever went out for dinner. It was only on special special occasions. and even then we usually just did it at home. But when I first started cooking, I tried cooking saltimbocca from scratch, I somehow misremembered it as a tomato-based dish. It is obviously not, and you can check out our real saltimbocca recipe if that is what you are looking for.

But this recipe is an homage to my first attempts at really cooking because it was such an exciting part of my life. I was making so many mistakes and I still thought my food was the best. And, I mean, "best" is subjective when the people you are cooking for would otherwise be eating ramen or Kraft mac and cheese.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Prosciutto. If you don't have prosciutto, you could substitute thinly sliced genoa salami or capocola.

Mozzarella. Combine mozzarella and parmesan for some extra flavor. You could also substitute provolone.

Peeled Tomatoes. You can use a can of crushed tomatoes for a smoother sauce and less work.

Flour. For those who are gluten-free, you could substitute arrowroot starch or corn starch for the flour. I have done this before and although it is a slightly different texture it is fine. Otherwise, I stand by this recipe as is.

Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1: Prepare chicken by slicing it thin, and I mean pretty thin. If these cutlets are thick, you'll have to cook them pretty long on the pan. I try to get 3-4 cutlets out of each chicken breast. Then place plastic wrap over the chicken and pound them out. Top each cutlet with 1 sage leaf and then a slice of prosciutto.

Step 2: Smack the prosciutto on to make it stick. I learned this from watching Chef Max Mariola. You can literally smack the prosciutto while it's on the chicken and they stick perfectly. But you can also thread it with a toothpick if you'd like. Salt the chicken side and then dredge both sides in flour.

Step 3: In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil to medium heat. Place chicken prosciutto side down for 1 minute. Flip it to the chicken side and saute for about 4 minutes. Set chicken aside.

Step 4: In the same frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and saute for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant. Add the tomato paste and combine. Saute for 30 more seconds. Add the peeled tomatoes, hand-crushing them or using a wooden spoon to gently break them apart. Bring to a simmer and add salt and 6-8 sage leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Preheat oven to 375℉. In a large baking pan, coat a layer of sauce. Then place the chicken on top and lightly top with more sauce and slices of fresh mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

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