Italy has always had a sandwich culture and the U. S. followed. We all love sandwiches, from the simplest peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese staple to an elaborate prosciutto, mozzarella, roasted peppers, arugula with balsamic vinaigrette on a ciabatta.
Vastedda is a sandwich originating in Palermo, Italy and can hardly be found on a deli or focacceria menu in America. Ferdinando’s Focacceria in Red Hook, Brooklyn, serves it along with another Sicilian sandwich, a Panelle Special. Vastedda is made in Italy from cow’s spleen and a Panelle sandwich is instead made with chickpea fritters, for those, who like me, are not interested in eating the organs of an animal.
I use sausage meat for my version of Vastedda, which many of my friends and family are obsessed with. This sandwich is fantastic, very filling and great for football Sundays. It makes for a wonderful autumn/winter meal along side a lovely salad and/or a bowl of soup. It’s easy to make. You and your guests will love it!
Ingredients: 4 sandwiches
· Hard seeded rolls
· Sausage meat from 2 cheese & parsley and 2 hot sausages
· 2 Scallions
· 3 tbsp of Olive oil
· 4 tbsp of ricotta cheese
· 2 tbsp of Locatelli grated cheese
· 4 slices of mozzarella cheese
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Saute scallions.
2. Remove the sausage meat from the sausages and place in the skillet. Brown both sides. Cut up sausage meat making loose.
Drain any excess liquid or fat.
3. Add ricotta cheese and Locatelli cheese. Mix in with sausage.
4. Remove some of the white dough from the rolls, making a pocket to put the sausage meat in. Fill it well.
5. Put a slice of mozzarella in sandwich.
6. When ready to serve, heat sandwiches in the oven till the bread and sausage meat is hot and the mozzarella has melted.
7. Serve with a side salad or a bowl of soup in front of a roaring fire.
You will never see this on a menu, a very regional specialty, everyone loves it.