Sicilian Vota Vota was just another food I learned to enjoy marrying into a Sicilian family. Similar to a calzone but stuffed with ingredients like swiss chard, sausage and endless variations to please every tastebud.
Like Italian recipes? Try my recipes for Sicilian Baked Lolli, Pasta with Anchovies and Tagliatelle with Traditional Bolognese Sauce.
There's no perfect time of year to make Vota Vota also known as Scacce. Made with simple ingredients and easy to make.
Fried cauliflower Italian style and polpette di riso were also very popular dishes growing up. Simple side dishes that turned a plain dinner into a fancy meal.
Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
- versatile in that you can change the taste by subbing in different ingredients
- easy to make
- customize the number of portions
- kid friendly meal idea
- great way to get your family to eat vegetables
- great leftover cold lunch
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Ingredients
Sicilian vota vota comes together with flour, durum wheat flour, water, yeast, olive oil, salt, sugar, swiss chard, pork sausage and sundried tomatoes.
See recipe card for details.
Vota Vota Dough
Vota Vota dough is not pizza dough. You can absolutely substitute pizza dough to make this recipe. Pizza dough has a larger volume of yeast and will rise more than the vota vota dough.
Sicilian vota vota dough is more like a flatbread with a small amount of yeast.
How to Make Sicilian Vota Vota
Place the yeast and sugar in a small bowl and add warm water. Let stand while the yeast activates (5 minutes or so).
Combine both types of flour in a medium bowl. Use a whisk to mix together. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the yeast and water in the centre. Using your fingers stir in a circular motion mixing water with flour until you have wet all of the flour. Combine to a ball pressing firmly to make a ball of dough.
Using your fingers stir in a circular motion mixing water with flour until you have wet all of the flour. Combine to a ball pressing firmly to make a ball of dough.
Once the dough has had a chance to rest, turn it out onto a floured surface and using a rolling pin roll out to about 12" x 18" .
Preheat oven to 375℉.
Place filling in centre of dough, sprinkles parmesan cheese on top.
Fold over one side, then fold over the other. Roll up the ends and pinch to seal them closed so they don't open up while cooking.
Take a fork and prick the top to allow steam to escape during the baking process. Brush the top of the vota vota with remaining olive oil.
Bake for about 45 minutes on the middle rack turning half way through.
Storage:
Vota Vota makes a great cold lunch idea if there are any leftovers. Store wrapped in foil, wax paper or plastic wrap refrigerated for not longer than 4 days.
You can also freeze for use later. When you are ready to consume thaw out in refrigerator for 24 hours or take it from freezer straight to oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Top Tips
Save time by preparing the filling in advance and storing it in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the dough.
The dough is more like a flatbread so don't expect it to rise too much.
Make sure you squeeze excess water from swiss chard.
Drain any excess fluid from filling before layering it on the dough.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few substitutions and variations for Vota Vota:
- Durum Wheat Flour - if you don't have durum wheat flour use regular all purpose flour
- Pizza Dough - use premade pizza dough to cut down prep time (note that the text will not be the same)
Flavor Variations:
- Swiss chard, tomato and olives - sauté swiss chard with chopped tomato and add olives to the filling
- Sausage, broccoli - sauté sausage with broccoli as a filling
- Tomato, anchovies and parsley - layer parsley, anchovies and sauteed tomato chunks, season to liking
- Potato, onion and ricotta - layer onions, sliced cooked potatoes and ricotta
- Potato, sausage, onions - layer cooked onions, cooked potatoes and cooked sausage
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you substituted ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Vota Vota is a traditional Italian dish originating from Sicily. It is a flatbread similar to a calzone, but long and rectangular, and filled with various different fillings depending on the town.
In the Sicilian dialogue it means to turn and fold. This is where the recipe Vota Vota got it's name from.
Side Dishes to Try
Recipe Details
Sicilian Vota Vota Recipe
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caEquipment
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
- 1 bunch swiss chard blanched
- 5 oz pork sausage casing removed
- .4 oz sundried tomato
- ½ tsp salt for swiss chard
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
Dough
- Place the yeast and sugar in a small bowl and add warm water. Let stand while the yeast activates (5 minutes or so).
- Combine both types of flour in a medium bowl. Use a whisk to mix together. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the yeast and water in the centre. Using your fingers stir in a circular motion mixing water with flour until you have wet all of the flour. Combine to a ball pressing firmly to make a ball of dough.
- Brush 1 tbsp of olive oil over the dough ball, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place in a warm place or in the stove turned off but with the light on.
- This isn't a traditional pizza dough it's more of a flatbread so it will not rise like pizza dough. Once the dough has had a chance to rest, turn it out onto a floured surface and using a rolling pin roll out to about 12" x 18" (you can also cut the dough in half and roll out two pieces of about 12 x 9 and fill them with different ingredients.
- Carefully transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The sides make hang over the sides but that's ok.
Filling
- Remove the casing from the sausage and place small chunks in a fry pan. Cook the sausage. Squeeze any excess water out of the blanched swish chard and add it and the sundried tomatoes to the pan with the sausage. Cook the swiss chard sausage mixture for about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from stovetop and drain any excess liquid otherwise your dough will become soggy.
- Add salt and chopped garlic to the sausage swiss chard mixture and mix to combine.
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Place filling in centre of dough and drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil on top. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Fold over one side, then fold over the other. Roll up the ends and pinch to seal them closed so they don't open up while cooking.
- Take a fork and prick the top to allow steam to escape during the baking process. Brush the top of the vota vota with remaining olive oil.
- Bake for about 45 minutes on the middle rack turning half way through. Check the vota vota at 35 minutes to make sure it need more baking time. Bake until slightly golden. Remove from heat and let rest for about 10 minutes. Slice in about 2 inch pieces and serve immediately.
Notes
Top Tips
Save time by preparing the filling in advance and storing it in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the dough. The dough is more like a flatbread so don't expect it to rise too much. Make sure you squeeze excess water from swiss chard. Drain any excess fluid from filling before layering it on the dough.Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Lidia says
I can't believe I found this recipe! I made this yesterday and the family loved it. Reminded me of my youth and when my mom used to make this with different types of fillings
AmyG says
I'm so glad you liked it! bon appetit 🙂