Sicilian Cuisine

Sicily's cuisine is a melting pot of Greek, Arab, Norman, Spanish, and French influences — and one of the most exciting regional cuisines in Europe.

Classics

• Pasta alla Norma — Sicily's national dish: pasta with fried eggplant, tomato sauce, basil, and salted ricotta. Named after Bellini's opera "Norma" (from Catania).
• Pasta con le Sarde — Pasta with sardines, wild fennel, pine nuts, and raisins. Pure Arab influence.
• Caponata — Sweet and sour eggplant dish with celery, olives, capers, and tomatoes. Every family has its own recipe.
• Couscous — In Trapani (western Sicily), couscous with fish broth is a main dish. Arab heritage.
• Granita con Brioche — THE Sicilian breakfast: semi-frozen fruit ice (almond, pistachio, lemon, mulberry) in a warm brioche. A must in Catania and Messina.
• Cassata — Opulent cake with ricotta, marzipan, candied fruits, and pistachios. Baroque in cake form.

Pistachios from Bronte

The pistachios from Bronte (on Etna) are the best in the world: intensely green, buttery-sweet, with a price to match (€30–50/kg). In Bronte, there is pistachio pesto, pistachio gelato, pistachio granita, pistachio cream on pizza — all pistachio, and all great.