Lidia’s Italian American Scallopine Recipes

Last Updated on February 18, 2023 by Ellen Christian

Looking for a new dish for dinner? Try one of Lidia’s Scallopine recipes. It’s just as delicious as Lidia Bastianich’s chicken piccata.

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Lidia's Italian American Scallopine Recipes With Chicken or Veal

Lidia’s Italian American Scallopine Recipes

If you’re looking for a new recipe to try, check out Lidia’s Italian American Scallopine recipes. I love trying new dishes but I don’t want anything that’s too time-consuming. Dinner tends to be hectic. So, I want something healthy I can have on the table fast. Lidia Bastianich is the author of several cookbooks.  

Everyone loves scallopine, and I’m sure it’s one of your favorite choices in your neighborhood Italian restaurant. The wonderful thing about scallopine is that the recipes are often so versatile. Here are a few scallopine recipes you can start with.

These scallopine recipes can be prepared with veal, chicken, turkey, or pork. That means you can take advantage of the sales at your local grocery store. Pick your family’s favorite or choose whatever is on sale for the best price. 

One thing you do need is a meat mallet with both smooth and toothed sides. For more scallopine recipes, visit Lidia’s Italy.

Thank you to Lidia, author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes for sharing these scallopine recipes with me. You may want to serve this with my Italian polenta bites.

preparing veal for scallopine

What meat should I use for scallopine recipes?

To serve four, I suggest starting with any of the following; remember it’s your choice!

  • twelve 2-ounce veal slices
  • four 6-ounce boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
  • eight 3-ounce slices of boneless center-cut pork loin
  • eight 3-ounce turkey cutlets.

All of them should be pounded from ¼-inch thick to about ¹/8-inch thick by placing two at a time between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound the scallopine with the toothed side of the mallet, then with the smooth side.

breading the meat to cook it

Flouring the scallopine helps to caramelize the outside of the scallopine before the inside becomes overcooked and tough. It also helps to thicken the sauce lightly and give it a velvety texture.

Flour the scallopine just before browning them; otherwise, you might get a soggy coating.

Use veal and you have an Italian veal scallopine recipe!

Lidia's Italian American Scallopine Recipes With Chicken or Veal

Scallopine with Peppers, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes

Serves 4

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 medium red and 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced ½-inch thick
2 cups trimmed and thinly sliced assorted mushrooms
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 servings scallopine
All-purpose flour
One 24-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes
½ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
6 fresh basil leaves, torn into quarters

Veal scallopine directions

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy, wide skillet over medium heat. Toss three garlic cloves into the pan.

Cook, stirring until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in peppers and mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until the peppers are softened, about 8 minutes.

This makes a delicious pan-fried veal scallopini.

chopped red and green peppers on cutting board

Heat 3 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil and butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add three garlic cloves to the pan. Cook, until golden, about 2 minutes.

While the garlic is browning, dredge the scallopine in flour to coat both sides lightly, tap off the excess and add as many to the pan as fit in a single layer. Cook until golden brown on the underside, about 3 minutes.

Flip and cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining scallopine and remove it from the pan. You can use this process for chicken or veal scallopine recipes.

Lidia's Italian American Scallopine Recipes With Chicken or Veal

Pour off the fat from the pan and pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss remaining garlic into the pan. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and red pepper and season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is simmering.

Cook, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Lidia's Italian American Scallopine Recipes With Chicken or Veal

Scrape the mushrooms and peppers into the sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until the peppers are tender, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the basil, tuck the scallopine into the sauce. Simmer until the scallopine is heated through and the sauce is slightly thickened about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and additional red pepper.

Divide the scallopine, topping each serving with some of the sauce. This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy veal scallopini and definitely one of our favorite scallopine recipes.

Lidia's Italian American Scallopine Recipes With Chicken or Veal

Pan-Fried Parmigiano Reggiano Coated Scallopine

This is an easy way to make pan-fried scallopine recipes.

Serves 4

4 portions scallopine
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 ½ cups fine, dry breadcrumbs
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
All-purpose flour
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Lemon wedges

Lidia's Italian American Scallopine Recipes With Chicken or Veal

Directions to make scallopine recipes

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Season the scallopine with salt and pepper. Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, Parmigiano Reggiano, and parsley together on a plate.

Spread the flour out on a separate plate. Dredge the scallopine in flour and tap off excess.

Dip the floured scallopine into the egg mixture, turning well to coat both sides evenly. Let excess egg drip back into the bowl, then coat the scallopine in breadcrumbs, pressing with your hands so breadcrumbs adhere.

That is the secret to successful scallopine recipes.

Heat olive oil and butter in a wide, heavy skillet. Lay as many breaded scallopine into the pan as will fit without touching.

This product presentation was made with AAWP plugin.

Fry until the underside is golden, about 4 minutes. Flip the scallopine and fry until the second side is golden (about 3 minutes).

As the scallopine fry, adjust the heat so they brown gently and slowly and the bits of coating that fall into the oil doesn’t burn.

Transfer the scallopine to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Remove as many browned bits from the pan as you can, and fry the remaining scallopine.

Serve the scallopine immediately, garnished with lemon wedges. My mom uses this method for her chicken scallopini recipe.

For more recipes including the Chicken Picatta by Lidia Bastianich, pick up a copy of the cookbook. Her scallopine recipes are definitely our favorite.

© 2010 Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, Author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

You may also like this Italian Beef Dinner.

Yield: 4

Lidia's Italian American Scallopine Recipes With Chicken or Veal

Lidia's Italian American Scallopine Recipes With Chicken or Veal

If you’re looking for a new recipe to try, check out Lidia’s Italian American Scallopine recipes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1 medium red and 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced ½-inch thick
  • 2 cups trimmed and thinly sliced assorted mushrooms
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 servings scallopine
  • All-purpose flour
  • One 24-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
  • 6 fresh basil leaves, torn into quarters

Instructions

    1. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy, wide skillet over medium heat. Toss three garlic cloves into the pan. Cook, stirring until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in peppers and mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the peppers are softened, about 8 minutes. This makes a delicious pan-fried veal scallopini.
    2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil and butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add three garlic cloves to the pan. Cook, until golden, about 2 minutes. While the garlic is browning, dredge the scallopine in flour to coat both sides lightly, tap off the excess and add as many to the pan as fit in a single layer. Cook until golden brown on the underside, about 3 minutes.
    3. Flip and cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining scallopine and remove it from the pan. You can use this process for chicken or veal scallopine recipes.
    4. Pour off the fat from the pan and pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss remaining garlic into the pan. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and red pepper and season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is simmering. Cook, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
    5. Scrape the mushrooms and peppers into the sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until the peppers are tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil, tuck the scallopine into the sauce. Simmer until the scallopine are heated through and the sauce is slightly thickened about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and additional red pepper.
    6. Divide the scallopine, topping each serving with some of the sauce. This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy veal scallopini and definitely one of our favorite scallopine recipes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 474Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 159mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 7g

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1 thought on “Lidia’s Italian American Scallopine Recipes”

  1. Yum, these recipes sound fabulous. I think I could eat Italian food all day long and not get bored. Strange for a little French girl, huh?

    Thanks for these great recipes.

    Cheryl

    Reply

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