These tender, juicy chicken breasts are filled with prosciutto, spinach, and Parmesan and then drizzled with a simple sauce of olive oil and lemon juice. Traditionally, saltimbocca (translated: "leaps in the mouth") is prepared with veal. Giada de Laurentiis prefers to use chicken, and I must agree. We really enjoyed these, and they took less than 30 minutes to prepare. This recipe only requires 1 skillet and no oven. Very nice and simple for an impressive-looking weeknight meal. Since there are only 2 of us, I used 3 large chicken breasts and 3 slices of prosciutto, keeping all other ingredient measurements as called for in the recipe.
Credit: Everyday Italian by Giada DeLaurentiis
Ingredients:
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ¼ teaspoons salt, plus more to taste (Remember: prosciutto is salty, don't go overboard!)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
6 chicken cutlets (3 ounces each), pounded to flatten evenly
6 paper-thin slices of prosciutto
¼ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (14 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions:
~ Squeeze the frozen spinach to remove the excess water. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ⅓ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
~Place the chicken cutlets flat on a work surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay one slice of prosciutto on each chicken cutlet. Arrange an even layer of spinach atop the prosciutto and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over each.
~Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each cutlet and secure with a toothpicks.
~In a large, heavy skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a high flame. Add the chicken rolls and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
~Add the broth and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 4 minutes.
~Using tongs, transfer the chicken to 6 plates or a serving platter and set aside. Increase the heat to high and cook the sauce until it is reduced to about ⅔ cup, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and serve.
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