Ricette di Sicilia
Cibo, cultura e tradizioni siciliane
Gratteri’s Fried Vastedda: A Taste of Authentic Madonie Tradition
Discover Gratteri’s fried vastedda — a simple, irresistible speciality from the Madonie mountains, golden, crisp and steeped in tradition.
🛒 Ingredients
- ✓ 1 kg re-milled semolina flour
- ✓ 1½ sachets fresh yeast
- ✓ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (for the dough)
- ✓ Warm water
- ✓ Extra-virgin olive oil for frying
- ✓ Salted anchovies (for the savoury version)
📊 Nutritional Information
Fried vastedde are a rustic treasure from Gratteri, a picturesque village tucked into the Madonie mountains of Sicily.
This humble yet flavourful street food celebrates the simplicity of local ingredients: semolina dough, good olive oil and, in the savoury version, a touch of anchovy. Crisp, golden and wonderfully moreish, they’re the heart of the annual Sagra della Vastedda Fritta, a lively summer festival that fills the streets with irresistible aromas.
Perfect for sharing on warm summer evenings, these fried delights bring together conviviality, tradition and the honest flavours of Sicily’s mountain villages.
👨🍳 Preparation
- 1
Dissolve the yeast in a little warm water and add it to the semolina together with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Knead until smooth and well combined.
- 2
Cover the dough and leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
- 3
Once risen, shape the dough into rectangles.
- 4
Place a few anchovy fillets on one side of each rectangle, then fold the dough over to seal the filling inside.
- 5
Heat the olive oil in a deep pan and fry the dough parcels until golden and crisp.
- 6
For a sweet version, skip the anchovies and roll the hot vastedde in sugar after frying.
💡 Tips and Variations
For a vegetarian version, omit the anchovies and mix aromatic herbs like rosemary or thyme into the dough.
Prefer the sweet option? Add a pinch of cinnamon to the sugar for a warm, fragrant twist.
📦 Storage
- • Store the vastedde in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
- • Once fried and cooled, they can be frozen individually wrapped in cling film.
- • Reheat in the oven at 180°C for 5 minutes to restore crispness.
🍷 Pairing
Pair your fried vastedda with a glass of Nero d’Avola — its bold, fruity character brings out the richness and crunch of this traditional street food.
Thank you for exploring this delicious slice of Sicilian tradition. Gratteri’s fried vastedda capture the warmth, generosity and authenticity of the Madonie. I hope you enjoy making — and sharing — them just as much as Sicilians have for generations.
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