Sicily is known for its intoxicating summer flavors like citrus, tomatoes, eggplant, and basil. The Italian island is home to national treasures in the country’s culinary canon, from arancini and cannoli to Nero d’Avola wine and, of course, fresh seafood. Rediscover the flavors of the Mediterranean destination with Sicilian cuisine, from Bundt cake to baked pasta, with these Italian recipes.
Sfincione
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Caleb Clark
Sfincione is a Sicilian focaccia-style pizza, traditionally topped with tomato sauce and breadcrumbs. Crushed San Marzano tomatoes give this version from Michael Hanna a rich tomato sauce.
Seltz Limone e Sale (Seltzer with lemon and sea salt)
Frederick Hardy II / Food styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Accessories styling by PRISSY LEE MONTIEL
This simple Italian spritz is a popular drink in many Sicilian restaurants to hydrate on hot days. Inspired by cookbook author Khushbu Shah, Lucy Simon mixes sparkling, fizzy water with lemon juice and Sicilian sea salt harvested from the Mediterranean Sea.
Almond Granita with Whipped Cream “Top and Bottom”
Cedric Angeles
Sicilian granita isn’t the stiff, frozen dessert you find elsewhere. It has an almost churned texture, like a cross between sorbet and a Slurpee. This refreshing, sweet, nutty, toasty, and creamy dish of almond granita layered over a luscious panna (sweet vanilla custard) is the brainchild of Los Angeles chef Evan Funke, who was inspired by a dish served at Caffè Europa in Catania, Sicily.
cannoli
Victor Protasio / Food styling by Torie Cox / Accessories styling by Josh Hoggle
The crispy, creamy, and beloved Italian dessert originated in Sicily. Cannoli are made from puff pastry that is molded into tubes and fried until crispy. The fried pastries are filled with orange-flavored mascarpone and ricotta, then dipped in chopped chocolate or pistachios.
Arancini al Ragù (risotto croquettes with beef ragù)
Cedric Angeles
Breaded and fried, these big, hearty risotto balls come from Los Angeles chef Evan Funke, who was inspired by the colossal, teardrop-shaped arancini at Pasticceria Savia, a pastry shop in Catania, Sicily, that’s been around since 1897.
Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake
Aubrie Pick
Sicilian grandmothers often serve this light cake for tea. Sicilian villa Rocca della Tre Contrade shares its tender version to snack on at any time of day.
Pasta ‘Ncasciata (Sicilian Baked Pasta)
Fred Hardy II / Food styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Accessories styling by Christina Daley
Sicily offers many variations of baked pasta with eggplant and cheese, called ‘ncasciata. Chef Michael Gulotta combines tender eggplant, buttery caciocavallo and crushed tomatoes with al dente rigatoni in this recipe.
Chicken scarpariello
Jennifer Causey / Food styling by Julian Hensarling / Accessories styling by Shell Royster
Whether “cobbler’s chicken” originated in Sicily and Calabria or the United States, this dish of skinless, boneless chicken thighs sautéed in a tangy lemon and pepper glaze is an Italian-American tradition.
Chicken Marsala
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food styling by Amelia Rampe
Chicken Marsala is said to have originated when Marie Antoinette’s sister, Queen Maria Carolina of Sicily and Naples, visited Marsala, Sicily, and brought with her French chefs who combined the French technique of using butter and shallots to create a pan sauce with the local wine. The sauce coats chicken cutlets and mushrooms in this recipe from Evi Abeler.
Sabayon ice cream
William Hereford
Marsala, a fortified wine produced in a Sicilian town of the same name, gives this frozen dessert a caramelized sweetness and a creamy, buttery finish.
Pasta alla Norma
Justin Walker
This pasta is the typical dish of Catania, Vincenzo Bellini’s birthplace, and its name is said to be due to the heroine of one of his most famous operas. The story goes that after seeing Norma performed, the composer’s friends were so impressed that they began to describe everything they found exceptional as “una vera Norma” (“a real Norma”).
The summer dish is simple: pasta—often penne, sometimes spaghetti—with tomato sauce; silky nuggets of fried eggplant; aromatic basil; and salty ricotta.
Sea bass with Sicilian cherry tomato sauce
Abby Hocking
Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos revisit the classic southern Italian puttanesca with their Sicilian cherry tomato sauce, here made with fresh tomatoes to top grilled wild sea bass.
Sicilian Banished
Photography by Victor Protasio / Food styling by Torie Cox / Accessories styling by Lydia Pursell
Scacciata is a popular Sicilian street food that involves stuffing a light, crispy bread dough with a variety of fillings. Valeria Messina’s version includes gooey provolone cheese, tender broccoli florets, Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives.
A lemony, oregano-infused sauce lends bright flavor to fresh-off-the-grill steaks, permeating the pricked holes in this recipe from legendary cookbook author and Italian cooking teacher Marcella Hazan.
Dried currants and pine nuts make these meatballs distinctly Sicilian, according to Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli, co-owners of the Frankies Spuntino group of Italian restaurants in Brooklyn, who take biannual trips to Sicily.
