Vitello alla Parmigiano.

Vitello alla Parmigiano

(Veal Parmesan)

serves 4

(Italy)

Veal cutlet parmesan is an Italian restaurant staple, my version spices it up a little by adding the heat of red pepper flakes to traditional marinara sauce.  Notice this version is not layered as most homemade versions but is made restaurant style (single scallopini topped with sauce, parmesan, and Provolone rather than mozzarella).

Ingredients

8  2-ounce veal cutlets, scaloppini-ed (pounded to  1⁄8" thickness)

1⁄2 cup flour

4 eggs, beaten

1 1⁄2 cups Italian dried bread crumbs

8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups spicy marinara sauce (yours or commercial marinara sauce simmered for 20 minutes with 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 tablespoon each dry basil and dry oregano, and 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes)

8 slices provolone cheese (about 6 ounce)

3⁄4 cup grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley for garnish

Kosher or sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper,  to taste

Preparation

1.  Pre-heat the broiler of an  oven to broil placing the oven rack 10" from the heating element. 

2.  Season the pounded veal cutlets lightly with salt and pepper.

3.  Build a breading station by placing flour, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes and working with one scaloppini at a time, dredge it in the flour, the eggs, and the bread crumbs and transfer the  breaded scallopini to a dish.

4.  In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Fry the breaded scallopini,  2 at a time,  turning once with tongs, until golden brown, about 3 minutes; wiping out the frying  pan and adding fresh oil  between.  Either transfer scallopini to large baking platter or to individual, oven proof plates. 

5.  Once all the scaloppini have been fried and plated, top each scallopini with 1⁄3 cup of the marinara sauce, sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Parmesan, and one or more  slices of cheese.  

6.  Place the plated and topped scallopini under the broiler until  the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 5 minutes.  Dress each plate with some of the parsley and serve immediately.