Where is the Vastedda coming from? Many people think that Palermo’s cuisine is mainly of Arabic origin but they do not know that more than half of those dishes are derived from “cacher” – Jewish Cuisine. One of the most important foods created by the Jews is the Vastedda, the “Spleen Sandwich” – Pani ca’ meusa – which, even if more than 1000 years old, is the most known street food of Palermo around the world.
You can taste this bizarre sandwich in one of the many Focaccerie in Palermo or, thanks to emigrated Sicilians, in other countries such as United States ( for example Joe’s of Avenue “u” in Brooklyn ) or in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany and more – or, if you want to try it at home, you can try and find the right ingredients and follow our recipe!
Vastedda – Pane ca’ meusa
Course: Main, Street foodDifficulty: Medium6
servingsIngredients
Veal spleen 2lb
Soft rolls 6
Grated caciocavallo
Lard 1/2 lb
Directions
- The day before making the Vastedde, you’ll need to boil the veal spleen in abundant salted water for 45 minutes. Then let it rest and you can put it in the fridge ready for the next day!
- Take the spleen out of the fridge and start slicing it in very thin slices – the don’t have to be too long either.
- Now take a pan and put the lard and 2 tablespoons of water over low heat.
- Once the lard is boiling, start adding the spleen slices and fry them for a few minutes
- Using a fork or a slotted spoon, take the spleen out of the pan, remove a bit of the lard in excess and put it inside a roll – you can press with the fork against the spleen to remove other lard in excess!
- You can now add the caciocavallo and some lemon juice if you like – now you can enjoy your homemade Vastedda!
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