Veal scallopine is a traditional Italian dish made with thin ¼ inch (.63 cm) slices that are then pounded with a mallet to approximately 1/8 of an inch (about 1/3cm). The veal used is generally taken from a muscle and is cut across the grain and trimmed of any fat. This makes veal scallopine a very low calorie cut of meat. Using chicken or turkey breasts instead of veal can further reduce fat content of veal scallopine.

Veal scallopine, which may also be spelled scallopini, is a fairly quick dish to prepare, since the thin slices of meat require very little cooking time. The classic veal scallopine is often dredged in flour with a few Italian herbs, salt and pepper, and then cooked on the stove top with a few cloves of chopped garlic for about six minutes. There are few traditional additions except for mushrooms, which are often cooked prior to cooking the meat. White wine is added to the pan once the meat is removed to make a light brown sauce.

The sheer variation of recipes for veal scallopine is quite remarkable. One sees suggested additions of crushed tomatoes, Greek or Italian Olives, bell peppers, or wet ingredients like lemon juice or Marsala wine added to the sauce. When tomatoes are added to traditional veal scallopine, once the meat is cooked, the tomatoes are added and the dish is allowed to simmer over a low heat for about half an hour.

Additions of lemon juice to veal scallopine tend to make the dish more similar to veal piccata. Adding Marsala wine to veal scallopine is more traditionally referred to as veal Marsala. Either of these recipes may be served with rice or potatoes, and occasionally pasta. Veal scallopine with tomatoes is almost always served on top of lightly buttered pasta, or at the very least with pasta as a side dish.

The flouring process of the veal scallopine is quite important and should not be neglected, no matter which variant one intends to make. The flour helps brown the meat, but also lends more texture to any sauce or gravy produced at the end. Without flour, the addition of canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes is likely to result in a watery sauce. In the wine deglazing process of the traditional veal scallopine, collecting the flavorful bits that accumulate in the middle of the pan while cooking the meat is made easier when the meat is flour coated.

If making veal scallopine for a large group, one can cook the meat in several batches and keep these warm on a low setting in an oven before combining the dish for serving. It may be easier to use two pans, so one can make two pans of the sauce that gives this dish its excellent flavor.