Veal Marsala Sauce with Spinach

Dust the veal first. That matters — a light coat, not thick. You want that crust, but not a pancake. Four escalopes, a hot pan with butter, and thirty minutes total from nothing to plated. This is an easy dinner that feels like you tried.

Why You’ll Love This Marsala Sauce Recipe

Tastes like you’ve been cooking Italian food for years. You haven’t.

Works as a main dish on its own — served over the spinach, side of roasted potatoes if you want them, or just the veal and sauce and nothing else.

Twenty minutes prep. Thirty minutes cooking. One good skillet. No equipment nonsense.

The sauce isn’t heavy. Sherry reduces down and the butter at the end makes it glossy instead of thick — different than a cream marsala sauce, way lighter.

Escalopes cook fast. Spinach comes together while the veal rests. Everything happens at the same time if you move a little.

What You Need for Veal Marsala

Veal escalopes. Four of them, pounded thin or bought thin — doesn’t matter which. They should be thin enough to cook through without getting tough.

Sherry. Dry sherry. Not sweet. Not cooking sherry from a bottle that’s been open since 2019.

A mix for coating — half all-purpose flour, half cornstarch. Sounds weird. Works better than flour alone. Stays on the meat instead of getting soggy.

Butter. 45 ml total. Split it — some for the pan, some whisked in at the end after the heat’s off.

Spinach. Fresh. 300 grams of it. Comes down to almost nothing once it wilts.

Garlic, one clove minced. Olive oil. Pecorino romano — the sharp stuff, not parmesan. Lemon zest from half a lemon. Salt and fresh pepper.

How to Make Veal Marsala

Heat the skillet first. Medium-high. You want it hot but not smoking — that’s where the butter goes without burning. Add half the butter with a touch of olive oil. The oil keeps the butter from blackening.

Dust each escalope in the flour-cornstarch mix. Both sides. Shake off what doesn’t stick — you’re coating it, not breading it.

Sear two escalopes at a time. The pan should hiss. About three to four minutes each side until golden and the meat feels firm but not hard when you press it. Don’t move them around — let them sit and crust.

Season with salt and pepper while they’re still in the pan. Transfer to a warm plate. They keep cooking a little, so don’t worry if they seem just shy of done.

How to Build a Marsala Wine Sauce

Pour the sherry into the same pan. The bottom’s got all those browned bits — that’s flavor. Scrape them up with a wooden spoon while the sherry bubbles.

Let it reduce by half. Medium heat. Takes about five minutes. You’re concentrating the sherry, boiling off the sharp edge, leaving something that tastes like something.

Off the heat — this part matters. Whisk in the remaining butter. The pan’s still warm enough to melt it but not so hot that it breaks. You want a glossy sauce that coats the back of a spoon.

Taste it. If it needs salt, add salt. If it’s too sharp, it’s probably fine. That’s the sherry. That’s the point.

Marsala Veal Recipe — Spinach and Service

While the veal sears, get the spinach going. Heat oil and butter in another skillet. Garlic in, let it smell good but don’t let it brown. Maybe thirty seconds.

Spinach in batches. It shrinks down to nothing — looks like way more than it is. Stir on high heat until most of the water’s gone. Two or three minutes total.

Off heat. Stir in the pecorino and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. It should taste sharp and a little lemony. Hold it warm.

Arrange the veal on the plate. Spinach underneath or alongside — doesn’t matter. Spoon the warm marsala sauce over the escalopes. The butter makes it shine.

Italian Veal Marsala Tips and Mistakes

Pound the escalopes yourself if they’re thick. Place between plastic wrap, use a mallet or the bottom of a pan, go light. You want them thin, not destroyed.

Don’t crowd the pan with both escalopes at once if you’re nervous. Cook one at a time. Takes longer but they cook more evenly. Your call.

The sauce should be thin, not thick. It’s a reduction, not a cream marsala sauce. If you want it richer, add a splash of cream at the end — but that changes what this is.

Dry sherry matters. Sweet sherry tastes like dessert. Cooking sherry from a jug tastes like nothing. Regular dry sherry from the wine aisle works.

The flour-cornstarch mix stays on better than flour alone. Don’t ask me why. It just does.

Veal Marsala Sauce with Spinach

By Emma

Prep:

20 min

Cook:

30 min

Total:

50 min

Servings:

4 servings

Ingredients

• Wilted Spinach
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 20 ml olive oil
• 25 ml butter
• 300 g fresh spinach leaves
• 40 ml grated pecorino romano cheese
• Zest of half a lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Veal Escalopes
• 4 veal escalopes
• Mix 50% all-purpose flour and 50% cornstarch for light coating
• 45 ml butter
• 135 ml dry sherry

Method

1. Wilted Spinach
2. 1 Start heating oil and butter in large skillet until hot.
3. 2 Toss in minced garlic; sauté briefly until fragrant but not browned.
4. 3 Add spinach in batches. High heat, stir, let most moisture evaporate.
5. 4 Remove from heat, stir in grated pecorino and lemon zest.
6. 5 Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper, hold warm.
7. Veal Escalopes
8. 6 Dust escalopes evenly with flour-cornstarch mix.
9. 7 Heat pan, melt half butter with little olive oil to prevent burning.
10. 8 Sear escalopes two at once until golden both sides, about 3-4 minutes each side.
11. 9 Season with salt and pepper, transfer to warm plates to rest.
12. 10 Pour sherry into same pan, scrape browned bits, reduce sauce by half over medium heat.
13. 11 Off heat, whisk in remaining butter until glossy and combined.
14. 12 Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary.
15. 13 Arrange escalopes on plates, spoon warm sauce over.
16. 14 Serve alongside wilted spinach. Optional: roasted potatoes.

Nutritional information

Calories

450

Protein

40g

Carbs

12g

Fat

30g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Marsala Sauce Recipe

Can I make this with chicken instead of veal escalopes? Yeah. Pound chicken breast thin, same as veal. Cooks about the same time. Tastes different but works. Everyone makes this with chicken and mushrooms in marsala wine sauce if they can’t find veal.

What if I don’t have dry sherry? Dry white wine works. Vermouth works. Regular marsala wine works — the actual wine, not the cooking kind. Each one tastes different but the sauce still comes together.

How long does the marsala wine sauce keep? Couple days in the fridge. Reheat gently in a small pan with a splash of water so it doesn’t reduce too much. The butter breaks down eventually but it’s fine.

Can I make this ahead? Cook the spinach ahead — reheats fine. The veal should cook fresh or it gets tough sitting around. The sauce is fast, do it right before serving.

Do I have to use the flour-cornstarch mix? Nope. Just flour works. Cornstarch is optional. It keeps the crust from getting soggy but you won’t miss it if you don’t have it.

What’s a good side besides roasted potatoes? Pasta. Crusty bread for the sauce. A salad if you want something fresh. Rice works too but potatoes make more sense with this.