Vasto-style Potatoes

“Vasto-style Potatoes” are a typical dish of the Abruzzese culinary tradition, especially from the city of Vasto. It’s a very simple recipe combining the flavors of potatoes with chili pepper and tomato.

Ingredients

• 4 medium-sized potatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red chili pepper (or chili powder to taste)
• 14 oz of peeled tomatoes
• Salt, to taste
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Preparation

1. Clean the potatoes and cut them into slices about half a centimeter thick.
2. In a large pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil with the peeled garlic cloves and the chopped chili pepper (if you do not like it too spicy, you can remove it after a few minutes).
3. When the garlic is golden, add the potatoes and brown them well on both sides.
4. Once the potatoes are golden, add the previously crushed peeled tomatoes with a fork or by hand. Salt to your taste.
5. Cover the pan and let cook over medium-low heat for about 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has reduced.
6. At the end of cooking, add the chopped fresh parsley.
7. Serve the Vasto-style potatoes hot, perhaps accompanied by slices of homemade bread to dunk in the sauce.

Trivia

“Vasto-style Potatoes” fully embody the philosophy of Abruzzese peasant cooking that knows how to enhance simple flavors with quality ingredients. Moreover, this dish is versatile and pairs well both as a side dish for meat main courses and on its own, perhaps increasing the quantity for a comforting and substantial dinner.