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Scaloppine ai funghi is a Northern Italian dish of thin veal cutlets, dredged in flour and seared fast, then finished in a mushroom and white wine sauce. The whole thing comes together in about 35 minutes, which makes it a solid weeknight dinner that still feels like something you’d order at a trattoria.
The technique matters more than any single ingredient here. You pound the veal to an even 5mm thickness so it sears in under two minutes per side, then pull it out of the pan while the mushrooms take over the same skillet.
Cremini mushrooms give the sauce a deeper color and a firmer bite than white button mushrooms, the same base used in porcini and cremini sauce, though either works fine. Dry white wine, reduced hard against the fond left by the meat, is what ties the whole pan together.
One thing to watch: if you leave the cutlets in the pan too long during the final simmer, they turn rubbery. Two minutes back in the sauce is enough to heat them through without overcooking a second time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 35 minutes start to finish
- One skillet handles both the veal and the sauce
- Mushroom sauce built from real pan drippings, no shortcuts
- Easy to swap veal for chicken or pork on a budget
Ingredient Notes
- Veal scaloppine: Look for cutlets already sliced thin, or ask your butcher to cut from the top round. Chicken breast or pork loin, pounded thin, both work as a budget substitute.
- Cremini mushrooms: These give a deeper color and firmer texture than white button mushrooms. Dried porcini, rehydrated in warm water, add a more intense mushroom flavor if you want to swap.
- Dry white wine: Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc both work well. If you’d rather skip the alcohol, use extra stock plus a small splash of white wine vinegar.
- All-purpose flour: Used only for a light dredge, not a thick coating. A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend swaps in with no other changes.
- Chicken or veal stock: Low-sodium stock lets you control the final seasoning better. Homemade veal stock deepens the sauce if you have it on hand.
Scaloppine ai Funghi: Veal Cutlets in Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Place veal cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even 5mm thickness with a meat mallet.
- Season both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in the flour, shaking off the excess.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Sear cutlets in batches, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden. Remove to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the butter to the same skillet.
- Add mushrooms and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and their liquid has evaporated.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Simmer 2 minutes until reduced by half.
- Add the stock and simmer 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
- Return the cutlets to the pan with any accumulated juices. Spoon sauce over the top and simmer 2 minutes, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 63 C / 145 F.
- Stir in parsley, adjust salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Pound veal evenly to 5mm so every cutlet cooks in the same time.
- Don't skip patting the meat dry before dredging in flour.
- Reduce the wine fully before adding stock to avoid a boozy sauce.
- Rest the seared cutlets on a plate, not stacked, so they stay crisp.
- Use a splatter guard; searing thin cutlets pops oil fast.
Tips for Success
- Pound cutlets to an even 5mm thickness so they cook in under 2 minutes and stay tender.
- Pat the veal dry before dredging so the flour forms a light crust instead of gumming up.
- Don’t crowd the pan; sear cutlets in two batches so they brown instead of steam.
- Scrape the browned bits from the pan when you add the wine, since that’s where the flavor lives.
- Slice mushrooms to a uniform thickness so they release moisture and brown at the same rate.
Variations
- Swap veal for chicken breast cutlets or pork loin scaloppine, pounded thin, for a budget-friendly version.
- Stir in 60 ml heavy cream at the end for a richer, silkier mushroom sauce.
- Use dried porcini soaked in warm water instead of cremini, and add the soaking liquid to the sauce.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover scaloppine ai funghi in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the sauce and cutlets together, since the meat is thin enough to reabsorb some moisture from the sauce overnight.
Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of stock or water, just until warmed through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Avoid the microwave if you can, since it tends to overcook the thin meat before the sauce even heats.
Freezing works better for the sauce alone than for the assembled dish. The veal texture turns a bit stringy after freezing and thawing, so freeze extra mushroom sauce in a separate container for up to 2 months and sear fresh cutlets when you’re ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
Soft polenta or simple mashed potatoes soak up the mushroom sauce well and keep the plate close to how it’s served in Northern Italy. Spoon extra sauce over the starch instead of leaving it pooled around the meat.
Sauteed spinach or green beans add contrast if you want something green on the plate. A crusty piece of bread also works if you’d rather skip a starch side altogether and just mop up the sauce.
Pour the same dry white wine you cooked with alongside dinner. It’s an easy way to make sure the pairing works without overthinking it.
FAQ
Why is my scaloppine ai funghi tough instead of tender?
Tough scaloppine usually means the veal was cooked too long or wasn’t pounded thin enough. Sear the cutlets for only 1 to 2 minutes per side, and pound them to an even 5mm thickness first. Once they go back into the sauce, give them just 2 minutes to reheat. Any longer and the thin meat turns rubbery.
Can I use chicken breast instead of veal for scaloppine ai funghi?
Yes, chicken breast cutlets work as a swap. Slice the breast horizontally into thin pieces, pound to 5mm, and follow the same dredge-and-sear method. Chicken needs a higher internal temperature than veal, so cook it to 74 C / 165 F instead of the 63 C / 145 F used for veal.
Can I make scaloppine ai funghi ahead and reheat it without drying out the veal?
You can make the mushroom sauce a day ahead and store it separately from the seared cutlets. Reheat the sauce gently in a skillet, then add the veal for just 1 to 2 minutes to warm through. Reheating the cutlets from cold for longer than that dries out the thin meat fast.
What goes with scaloppine ai funghi besides pasta?
Soft polenta or simple mashed potatoes soak up the mushroom sauce well and keep the plate close to how it’s served in Northern Italy. Sauteed spinach or green beans add contrast if you want something green. A crusty piece of bread also works if you’d rather skip a starch side.
Is scaloppine ai funghi gluten free?
Not as written, since the cutlets are dredged in all-purpose flour before searing. Swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend or rice flour and the dish turns gluten free with no other changes needed. Check your stock and wine labels too, since some brands add gluten-based additives.
What’s the difference between scaloppine ai funghi and scaloppine al marsala?
The mushroom sauce here is built on dry white wine and stock, while scaloppine al marsala uses sweet Marsala wine and often more butter for a richer sauce. Both start with the same seared veal cutlets. Funghi keeps the flavor lighter and more savory than marsala’s caramelized sweetness.