The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Sicilian Foods. If you manage to be in an Sicilian restaurant or you are visiting Sicily, I recommend the following:
1. Sarde a Beccafico
This tasty dish consists of wrapping sardines in a mixture of breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, sultanas, pine nuts, pepper, salt and olive oil. The most curious thing about this recipe is that it is an adaptation of a dish eaten by nobles in ancient times. Instead of wrapping sardines, the original was wrapped in poultry such as partridges or quails. The people, unable to afford such expensive ingredients, modified the recipe to create a delightful dish.
2. Caponata
Caponata is a very tasty side dish and antipasto, quite typical of Sicilian cuisine and with some variations of Calabrian cuisine. In fact, among the typical dishes of Calabria there is also the caponata. Caponata is prepared with aubergine, potatoes, green or red pepper, tomato, onion, and sometimes green olives. It is finished with some fresh basil, which is never missing in Italian cuisine.
3. Pasta alla Norma
This simple but tasty dish, which originates from the city of Catania, is one of the must-eat recipes in Sicily. Even so, it is one of the most widespread dishes in the region. The macaroni is accompanied by fresh tomato, fried aubergines, a delicious and very famous sheep’s cheese, ricotta, and finally basil. The result is a very Mediterranean flavour that is a pleasure to savour, especially during the summer.
4. Arancini
When we talk about gastronomy in Sicily, we cannot forget the classic of classics, the arancini or arancine. This controversial delicacy is called one way or another depending on where you are in Sicily. This fantasy is a cone or sphere of saffron rice, stuffed with the famous Italian ragù, peas and caciocavallo cheese. It is then breaded and fried in plenty of oil.
5. Raw Red Prawns
Even the raw red prawns are considered a delicacy because of their characteristic red colour. It has been Mazara del Vallo’s star product for decades, so much so that it is its official logo and appears next to the town’s name in cookbooks. The taste is fantastic: rich mineral flavours and natural fats that make it melt in your mouth.
6. Granita con Brioche
Without a doubt, the breakfast to eat in Sicily is granita and brioche. Sicilians love it all year round, but especially during the hot summer. As for granita, which is actually a delicious homemade granita, there are different flavours: almond, coffee, pistachio or lemon. It is a tasty sweet bun, which combined with granita is the best breakfast to eat in Sicily!
7. Busiate al Pesto Trapanese
“Busiate” is the most typical type of pasta in the city of Trapani, and one of the best known on the island. So if there is one type of pasta to eat in Sicily, this is it. The ingredients of this tasty dish are a base of chopped fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, almonds and extra virgin olive oil. All these products are mixed in a mortar and pestle to integrate all the ingredients.
8. Involtini di Pesce Spade
These are swordfish rolls. This recipe is prepared by stuffing slices of fish with breadcrumbs, pine nuts and sultanas, all flavoured with lemon slices and bay leaves and cooked in the oven or in a frying pan. Once prepared, you can enjoy the tasty morsels and taste the soft filling and delicious gratin. There are several variations of involtini, using other ingredients, such as aubergines instead of fish.
9. Cannoli
Cannolo is a delicious fried pasta with a round shape and filling. The original recipe calls for fresh sheep’s ricotta as the only filling, but nowadays it is possible to find them in a variety of tastes and colours. A well-served cannolo will have pistachio pieces scattered on top, or if not pistachios, candied orange peel, chocolate drops or other delicacies as decoration. This final touch will depend on your choice of filling and the city in Sicily you are in.
10. Pasta con le Sarde
The origin of this delicacy is Palermo, and the pasta chosen to make this traditional dish is long, thin and with an internal hole. Its ingredients usually include sardines, fennel and saffron. But there are many variations of this recipe, so you can find extra ingredients such as sultanas, pine nuts or onion.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional European Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.
The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Sicilian Foods. If you manage to be in an Sicilian restaurant or you are visiting Sicily, I recommend the following: