Weekend Recipe Review - Saltimbocca alla Romana

Chicken saltimbocca is one of those things I tried to make years ago, but I was much, much too lazy of a cook to do it properly.  I clearly remember being in the kitchen thinking of how to do each step with as little as work as possible.  It was one of those moments where I worked so hard trying NOT to work, I probably spent more time than necessary.  Fortunately I've come a long way since then, and when I saw the Mary's recipe for Saltimbocca alla Romana over at Go Ahead...Take a Bite! I knew it was time to try again.

Armed with some beautifully thin boneless skinless chicken breasts and some lovely oyster mushrooms and fall spinach from the community market, try again I did.

Unfortunately I did not have any wine or vodka or any other suitable alcohol in the house, so I skipped the marsala altogether and used chicken broth for deglazing the pan as well as the marsala sage sauce at the end.  I also couldn't find any decent prosciutto, so I used panchetta.  The panchetta was good, but a bit too salty.  To counter that and the chicken broth, I did not salt the rest of the dish much at all.

Be sure if you make this, do not skimp on the spinach mushroom mixture.  It was so good, I could eat a whole plate of pasta topped with just that, and Mary agreed.  I can't imagine how divine it would be with the marsala in it as well.

My husband, who is generally not a fan of sage, and especially of sage dressings, had no objections to the sage in this dish.  In fact, as he sopped up the last of the sauce with a piece of bread, he commented that this was so good, it was "restaurant quality."  Chicken saltimbocca is now a dish I can make and serve and be proud of, and this recipe will be one I turn to frequently.