Scaloppina alla Sorrentina
Veal cutlets in tomato sauce topped with melted mozzarella and fresh basil in a pan
I have a clear memory of eating these — cutlets under a blanket of melted mozzarella — but my mother insists she never made them. So one of us is misremembering, and at this distance neither of us can say which. It turns out there are several ways these are commonly made, and the version with mozzarella melted on top is the one my memory has kept and decided is true. Maybe I ate it at someone else's table; maybe she made it once and forgot. The memory is mine now either way.
The dish itself is straightforward and belongs to the same Campanian family as the parmigiana: thin cutlets, a quick fresh tomato sauce — tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, the soul of Sorrento — and the cheese melted over the top at the end so it pulls into strings. It cooks fast and it is unapologetically rich. The scaloppine con mozzarella e prosciutto are its close cousin, white instead of red.
Tap to enlarge — Scaloppina alla sorrentina: ingredienti, metodo, varianti
Recipe — Scaloppina alla Sorrentina
Serves 4 · about 25 minutes
- 4 large veal cutlets thin — about 400–500 g; or chicken breast
- 200 g mozzarella fior di latte, drained and sliced
- 300 g tomato passata
- Flour for dredging
- 2 cloves garlic
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 20 g butter optional
- Fresh basil
- Salt and black pepper
Use chicken breast for a lighter, everyday version; skip the flour if you want it lighter still. A glass of Campanian white — Falanghina or a Lacryma Christi — is the natural pairing. And if you prefer it white, without tomato, make the version with prosciutto and mozzarella instead.
