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Meat, Italy

Lemon veal piccata with buttered pasta

Lemon veal piccata with buttered pasta is an Italian dish for 4 people, ready in 30 minutes, rated easy, for about €3.90 per person. The key is the sauce, finished with cold butter off the heat and fresh lemon juice added at the very end to keep its brightness.

An Italian classic, veal piccata with its bright lemon sauce, paired with buttered pasta to mop up every bit of it.

Lemon veal piccata with buttered pasta
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.90
Calories per person
700 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

This is a golden, tender veal cutlet draped in a lemony sauce with just enough bite from the capers. Butter swirled in off the heat gives the sauce a glossy, silky texture that coats both the meat and the pasta sitting next to it.

This dish fits a weeknight when you want something quick that still feels a bit special, or an easygoing Sunday without much fuss. Kids generally love buttered pasta, and the sauce stays mild despite the lemon, so you can serve the whole family without changing the plate.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Veal cutlets 4

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Capersoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Chicken brothoften in the pantry 10 cl
  • Spaghettioften in the pantry 350 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Lemon 2
  • Parsley 4 sprigs

Dairy

  • Butter 60 g

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Flatten the cutlets, season with salt and pepper, then coat both sides with flour.

    Flour right before cooking, otherwise it turns gummy.

  2. Cook the spaghetti in salted water, save a ladle of cooking water, then drain. 10 min

    Keep the cooking water, it will help bind the pasta.

  3. Brown the cutlets in the oil and 20 g of butter, two minutes per side, then set aside and keep warm. 5 min

    Don't crowd the pan, cook in two batches if needed.

  4. In the same pan, pour in the broth, the lemon juice and the capers, let it reduce, then whisk in the remaining butter. 4 min

    Cold butter added off the heat makes the sauce glossy and silky.

  5. Toss the pasta with a little butter and cooking water, serve with the cutlets topped with the sauce and parsley.

    Add lemon zest over the cutlets for extra fragrance.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick thin cutlets of even thickness, they cook faster and more evenly.
  • Scrape up all the browned bits left by the meat when you add the broth, that's where the sauce gets its flavor.
  • Always save a ladle of pasta water before draining, it rescues a sauce that turns too thick or pasta that sticks together.

The variations

  • Swap the veal for chicken or turkey cutlets for a more budget friendly version.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with breaded eggplant or zucchini slices cooked the same way.
  • For a faster version with kids in a hurry, just serve the buttered pasta with a bit of the lemon sauce, skipping the capers.

What to serve it with

  • A crisp arugula salad
  • A glass of homemade lemonade
  • Steamed green vegetables on the side

Storage

Keep leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days. The butter sauce doesn't freeze well, it tends to split when thawed. Reheat gently in a pan over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

You can prep the broth and brown the capers ahead, but add the butter and lemon juice right before serving. A butter mounted sauce doesn't reheat well and tends to split.

What can replace the capers?

If you don't have capers, you can skip them or use chopped green olives instead. The flavor will be a bit less tangy but the sauce still works.

How do you keep the flour coating from turning gummy?

Flour the cutlets right before cooking, not ahead of time. Flour absorbs moisture from the meat over time and forms a sticky coating instead of a golden crust.

Will kids like this dish despite the lemon?

Yes, the sauce stays mild since the lemon is softened by the butter and broth. If needed, serve the sauce on the side so everyone can add as much as they like.

How long does it take to make a lemon veal piccata with buttered pasta?

Count 30 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a lemon veal piccata with buttered pasta?

About 700 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a lemon veal piccata with buttered pasta cost?

About €3.90 per serving, or €15.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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