Chef Graziella
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Culinary Explorer
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Insalata Vastasa
Created by
A Sicilian peasant salad of potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, and raw onion, dressed simply with olive oil and vinegar. Food for working people who knew that humble ingredients, treated with respect, feed both body and soul.
Salads
Italian, Sicilian
Weeknight
Budget Friendly
20 min
Active Time
25 min cook•45 min total
Yield4 servings
Vastasa. The word means rough, coarse, vulgar. In Sicily, it described the class of people who worked with their hands: laborers, fishermen, farmers. The salad that bears this name makes no apology for its origins. It is honest food assembled from what grows in any Sicilian garden and costs almost nothing.
This is not a composed salad meant to impress. The potatoes are sliced thick. The onion is raw. The tomatoes are cut into wedges, not arranged. You dress it and you eat it. In the Sicilian summer, when the heat makes cooking unbearable, this is dinner. With good bread and perhaps some cheese, it is enough.
What you keep out is as significant as what you put in. No olives, though some would add them. No capers, though they grow wild on the island. No basil, no parsley. Oregano and nothing more. The potatoes must absorb the dressing while still warm. The salad must rest before serving. These are not suggestions.
Insalata Vastasa belongs to the cucina povera of Sicily, the cooking of poverty that turns necessity into virtue. The name itself, from the Sicilian dialect for the rough-handed working class, tells you everything about who made this dish and why. Wealthy Sicilians would never have called a salad by such a name. The poor did so with a shrug and perhaps some pride.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
waxy potatoes
Quantity
1 pound
Yukon Gold or similar
green beans
Quantity
8 ounces
trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
ripe tomatoes
Quantity
2 large
cut into wedges
red onion
Quantity
1 small
sliced thin
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/4 cup
red wine vinegar
Quantity
2 tablespoons
dried oregano
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| waxy potatoesYukon Gold or similar | 1 pound |
| green beanstrimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces | 8 ounces |
| ripe tomatoescut into wedges | 2 large |
| red onionsliced thin | 1 small |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1/4 cup |
| red wine vinegar | 2 tablespoons |
| dried oregano | 1/2 teaspoon |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Large pot for potatoes
- •Medium pot for green beans
- •Wide shallow serving bowl
Instructions
- 1
Cook the potatoes
Place the potatoes whole and unpeeled in a pot of cold salted water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until a knife pierces them easily, 20 to 25 minutes depending on size. Do not overcook. The potatoes should hold their shape when sliced, not crumble into mush. Drain and let cool until you can handle them comfortably.
- 2
Blanch the green beans
While the potatoes cook, bring a separate pot of well-salted water to a vigorous boil. Add the green beans and cook until tender but with pleasant resistance, 4 to 5 minutes. They should snap cleanly when bitten, not squeak against your teeth. Drain and spread on a plate to cool. Do not shock them in ice water. You want them at room temperature, not cold.
Ice water stops the cooking but also washes away flavor and creates a rubbery texture. Let vegetables cool naturally when they will be dressed, not served hot. - 3
Prepare the potatoes
Peel the warm potatoes and slice them into rounds about one-third inch thick. Place them in a wide shallow bowl. While they are still warm, drizzle with half the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Warm potatoes absorb dressing. Cold potatoes sit in it.
- 4
Assemble the salad
Add the green beans to the potatoes. Scatter the tomato wedges and sliced onion over top. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and the vinegar. Crumble the oregano between your palms to release its oils and scatter it over the salad. Season with salt and pepper.
- 5
Toss and rest
Toss everything gently with your hands or two large spoons. Be careful not to break up the potato slices. Let the salad rest at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. This is not optional. The flavors need time to marry, and the potatoes must absorb the dressing.
Sicilians serve this at room temperature, never cold. Refrigeration mutes flavor. If you must make it ahead, remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. - 6
Taste and serve
Taste before serving. The salad may need more salt, more vinegar, or another thread of olive oil. Adjust. Serve on a large platter or directly from the bowl, family style. This is not a salad for individual plates.
Chef Tips
- •Waxy potatoes hold their shape when sliced. Starchy potatoes like russets will crumble. Yukon Gold or red potatoes work well. New potatoes are ideal if you can find them.
- •The tomatoes must be ripe and at room temperature. In winter, when tomatoes are not worth eating, this salad waits for summer. Make something else.
- •Sicilian oregano is more pungent than Greek or Mexican varieties. If yours seems mild, use a bit more. Crumbling it between your palms warms the herb and releases its volatile oils.
- •Raw onion softens in the dressing as the salad rests. If your onion is particularly sharp, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes before adding them. Drain well.
Advance Preparation
- •The salad can be assembled up to 2 hours ahead and held at room temperature. Do not refrigerate if you can avoid it.
- •If you must refrigerate, bring it to room temperature 30 minutes before serving and taste again for seasoning. Cold dulls everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 310g)
Calories
250 calories
Total Fat
14 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
11 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
150 mg
Total Carbohydrates
29 g
Dietary Fiber
6 g
Sugars
5 g
Protein
4 g
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