10 typical Sicilian dishes

A thousand-year-old tradition and an extraordinary variety of typical dishes make Sicily a true paradise for lovers of good food. Sicilian cuisine is a magnificent sea in which to navigate amidst smells, flavours and colours that satisfy the five senses in a masterly manner. Its peculiarity is that, over time, it has been able to take the secrets of the gastronomic art from its conquerors and make them its own. Here are 10 dishes that you cannot miss, to make your holiday in Sicily a journey through flavours!

The caponata

The queen of the table in Sicily is undoubtedly caponata (capunata in Sicilian). With its typically Mediterranean flavour and sweet and sour taste, it is prepared with fried aubergines, celery, onion, tomato, capers, vinegar, olives, salt and sugar. Perfect as an appetiser but also as a side dish, it is loved and cooked throughout the region, and practically every city has its own small or large variation of the dish. Originally, it was made with fish: instead of aubergines, there were caponi (the dialect name for lampugas), hence the name. The dish then, on the tables of the less affluent Sicilians, took on the appearance we know today.

Arancini (or arancine)

Arancini or arancine? If in eastern Sicily the masculine is used, in the western part of the island it is strictly feminine. These are small rice timbales, round or cone-shaped, generally filled with meat sauce, peas and caciocavallo cheese. But which can be enjoyed in many delicious variations (filled with cooked ham and mozzarella, with pistachio from Bronte, with fish sauce, etc.). The name derives from the shape and typical golden colour reminiscent of an orange, although in eastern Sicily they are often shaped like a cone to resemble Etna. Its origins are much debated. It seems to date back to the period of Saracen domination (between the 9th and 11th centuries) but it was not until Frederick II of Swabia (13th century) that crispy breadcrumbs were introduced.

Bread and panelle

Bread and panelle is a classic of Sicilian street food (typical of the city of Palermo), outstanding in taste, flavour and simplicity of ingredients. It is nothing more than a soft bun covered with sesame seeds and filled with chickpea flour fritters, usually flavoured with parsley and enriched with a squeeze of lemon. The history of this dish goes back a long way. Already in Roman times, chickpeas were widely used in the kitchen, especially in the form of polenta, but in Sicily it was the Arabs who experimented with grinding chickpea seeds to obtain flour, which, mixed with water and cooked, gave rise to a paste similar to polenta. Then, over time, panellari refined the recipe by adding salt and pepper, and of course frying. Panelle are also eaten together with cazzilli, or potato croquettes with parsley.

Pasta alla norma

Among the first courses, pasta alla norma is a must. Originally from the Catania area, today it is found throughout the region. Known and loved all over the world, it is a dish of macaroni (usually) seasoned with fresh tomato sauce, fried aubergines, fresh basil leaves and a generous grating of salted ricotta cheese at the end of cooking. According to some historical sources, it was created in homage to the opera of the same name by composer Vincenzo Bellini. But other research would attribute the dish’s origin to the fact that it was described by cooks and diners as ‘done to standard’, or in other words, in a workmanlike manner. A National Pasta alla Norma Day is also dedicated to the dish, which falls on 23 September.

Pasta with arriminati broccoli

Another traditional Sicilian first course that you just can’t do without is pasta with broccoli arriminati. Although it does not have the same notoriety as pasta alla norma, it is one of the most popular dishes on the island for its incredible goodness. Despite the name, the star of this recipe is not the broccoli but the cauliflower (in Sicily, cauliflower is commonly called broccoli while the actual broccoli is called sparacello). Instead, the term ‘arriminiati’ refers to the act of stirring with which the sauce made from green cauliflower, sultanas, pine nuts and toasted breadcrumbs is made creamy.

The busiate pasta with Trapanese pesto

Another irresistible Sicilian speciality is pesto alla Trapanese, a delicious raw, cold-pressed sauce made with oil, basil, tomato, almonds, pecorino cheese and garlic. It is a very old recipe. In the port of Trapani, the Genoese ships from the East stopped at the port of Trapani, bringing the tradition of the Ligurian agliata, made with garlic and walnuts. From the meeting of the two culinary cultures, this preparation was born, when the Trapanians added the typical ingredients of their land (tomato and almonds). It goes well with all types of pasta but is usually used to season busiate, a kind of macaroni twisted into a soft spiral, so called because the dough was originally wrapped around the stem of a plant, the ‘buso’ in Sicilian dialect.

Pasta with sardines

Pasta with sardines is one of the masterpieces of Sicilian gastronomy, which has created a dish in which the most disparate flavours combine to form a unique harmony. There are many variations of it, but it is usually prepared with bucatini or macaroni seasoned with fresh sardines, sultanas, pine nuts, anchovies, saffron, oil, salt and pepper. According to tradition, it was invented in the 9th century by an Arab cook in the service of General Eufemius of Messina, who, finding himself in difficulty with supplies, developed this dish using what nature had to offer. There is also a ‘poor’ version of the dish, the so-called pasta with sardines at sea, i.e. without sardines (because they remained at sea), which is the quintessence of the art of making do.

Sardines a beccafico

Another typical Sicilian dish is also prepared with sardines. We are talking about sarde a beccafico, sárdi a beccaficu in Sicilian. They are considered a main course but are also served as an appetiser. The sardines are cleaned and gutted and then stuffed with a mixture of minced garlic, breadcrumbs, sugar, sultanas, anchovies, pine nuts and parsley before being placed in the oven. The name comes from a bird called beccafico, which in ancient times Sicilian nobles ate stuffed with its own entrails and innards. The dish was tasty but considered a luxury good. The commoners then turned to sardines (which they could afford) and used breadcrumbs, pine nuts and little else to imitate the innards filling. Thus sarde a beccafico was born.

The falsomagro

There is nothing more popular in Sicily than the falsomagro (in Sicilian dialect farsumagru or bruciuluni), a rich and tasty meat main course ritually found on tables throughout the region. The recipe, synonymous with abundance, is perfect for Sunday lunch or the festive table. It consists of a rolled slice of beef that hides a delicious stuffing inside. The stuffing varies from family to family and from area to area but is usually made with boiled eggs, mince, mortadella or pancetta, lard and caciocavallo cheese. As for its origins, it seems that the recipe was imported to Sicily by French cooks during the Angevin rule in the 13th century.

The Couscous

Another typical Sicilian speciality, especially from the Trapani area, is cous cous (cùscusu in local dialect). The dish is prepared with durum wheat semolina cooked in a special terracotta pot (called couscoussiera) and enriched with different ingredients depending on whether you want to obtain a fish or vegetable cous cous. It is a recipe of Maghreb origin that has characterised the cuisine of Berber nomads since ancient times and spread to Sicily during the period of Arab domination. There is also a multicultural festival dedicated to the dish, the Cous Cous Fest, held annually in September in San Vito Lo Capo, where ethnic changes are discussed and, above all, a lot of food is eaten.