Veal Scallopini With Lemon and Capers

Written by
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
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Molly Watson
Updated 05/14/19
Veal scallopini with lemon

The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu
  • Total: 15 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 10 mins
  • Yield: 1 dozen (12 servings)
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
379 Calories
24g Fat
2g Carbs
35g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1 dozen (12 servings)
Amount per serving
Calories 379
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 31%
Saturated Fat 10g 52%
Cholesterol 152mg 51%
Sodium 352mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Protein 35g
Calcium 64mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Veal cutlets are one of the easiest, quickest, and tastiest meals you can pull together for a last-minute dinner. And veal scallopini is a classic, some may say old-school, recipe. A few moments in the pan; a couple of ingredients to create a sauce, and dinner is done—a recipe that is simple and delicious and ready in 15 minutes. These veal cutlets are cooked with butter, lemon, and capers and served over arugula; the heat from the veal and sauce gently wilt the leaves in a most pleasing fashion. All you need is some crusty bread or a side of roasted potatoes and you've got dinner.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound veal scallopini (or cutlets)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 3 tablespoons butter (cut into 4 to 8 pieces)
  • 4 cups arugula leaves (loosely packed)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for veal scallopini
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

  2. Pat the veal dry with paper towels and sprinkle it lightly with the salt.

    Pat dry
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu 

  3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan (preferably large enough to hold all the veal in a single layer) over medium-high heat.

    Heat oil
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

  4. Put as much of the veal as fits in a single layer in the pan (it is important you don't crowd the pan) and cook until it has started to brown and releases from the surface of the pan - about 2 minutes.

    Put in veal
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu 

  5. Turn the cutlets and cook them until they're cooked through and browned on the second side - about 2 more minutes. Transfer the veal to a plate. Repeat with any remaining veal, as necessary.

    Turn the cutlets
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

  6. Return the frying pan to the heat. Add the capers to the pan and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds.

    Return frying pan to heat
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

  7. Add the white wine and use a spatula to help scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

    Scrape
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

  8. Whisk together and cook until the wine is reduced by at least half, about 2 minutes.

    Whisk together
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

  9. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine.

    Add the lemon juice
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

  10. Swirl in the pieces of butter, whisking if you like, to make a sauce. Taste and add salt if needed.

    Swirl in butter
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

  11. Return all of the veal to the pan to coat it in the sauce.

    Veal
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

  12. Divide the arugula between 4 plates. Drizzle a bit of the sauce over each serving of arugula before placing the veal on top of the salad. Drizzle any remaining sauce evenly over the veal.

    Divide the arugula
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu 

  13. Serve immediately.

    Veal scallopini with lemon
    The Spruce Eats/Diana Mocanu

Tip

  • If you don't eat veal for animal welfare reasons, know that there is an alternative kind of veal on the market. The difference is that the veal comes from the calves culled from the herd, not calves raised virtually motionless in pens.  You may find it labeled as "red veal," or with the Italian word "vitello." The meat isn't milky white but instead is a pale red color.

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