Food guide: the best of Sicily

Italy is the country of endlessly delicious food and drink, which is why we love coming here so much. Every region, area and even city has its own local specialities and delicacies. We’re heading to the southernmost point of Italy: isola della Sicilia. And we’re sharing what you definitely want to eat when you’re in Sicily.

These are the tastiest dishes in Sicily

Why do foodies love Sicily so much? Simple: the island is a melting pot of flavours. Arabic spices, Italian flair, Greek influences – everything comes together on your plate. From arancini to caponata and from salted ricotta to pistachio everything: Sicily is one big culinary roller coaster. Are you going soon? You’ll want to eat all of this, trust us.

Arancini di riso

If you come across risotto on the menu somewhere in Sicily, it will almost always be one with seafood. Despite this, most of the rice is used for arancini: breaded and deep-fried balls of rice. Traditionally, arancini are filled with ragù, peas and mozzarella, but the flavours and shapes you’ll come across are endless.

Panelle

Panelle are thin, fried slices of chickpea flour. They’re delicious on a white sesame roll (pane e panelle), but are also incredibly tasty eaten out of hand. They’re typical Sicilian street food: in Palermo, you’ll find them on every street corner and locals eat them all day long. The recipe varies from vendor to vendor, and of course they all think their own version is the best.

Pani câ mèusa

You’ll mainly come across this sandwich in Palermo, and it’s not for everyone. It’s a vastedda (white sesame bun), filled with boiled veal spleen fried in lard. It’s often also filled with caciocavallo (a Sicilian stretched-curd cheese) or ricotta. Anyone who has ever been to Palermo knows that you need to visit Mercato Vucciria or Mercato Ballarò for the very best food. This is also where you’ll find the tastiest pani câ mèusa. A bold sandwich – do you dare?

Sfincione

A sfincione is a kind of pizza, but slightly different. The base resembles focaccia: light and thick. They’re usually topped with a mixture of tomatoes, anchovies, cheese, onion, oil and oregano. You’ll find them in a round shape, but also square. Every part of the island has its own version of sfincione. In Siracusa, for example, it’s sliced open and filled with cured ham and vegetables. In Messina, it’s more like a calzone. You don’t eat a sfincione whole, but in slices.

Pasta con le sarde

Because of Sicily’s southern location, the island has many Arabic influences. This can also be seen in the signature pasta: con le sarde. It’s topped with sardines, wild fennel and raisins, and seasoned with anchovies, saffron, lemon, breadcrumbs, pepper and salt. In Palermo, it’s also often served with tomato sauce, pine nuts and currants. In Catania, the sardines are often replaced by anchovies; it’s then called pasta che masculini.

Caponata

The preparation of caponata varies by region; there are as many as 30 different variations. The traditional recipe includes aubergine, celery, olives and onion, among other ingredients. Caponata resembles ratatouille in many ways, but there is definitely a difference. Ratatouille is French, and the main difference is the presence of olives, anchovies and vinegar in caponata. It’s delicious with a piece of white fish, but also works well on a slice of bread. Eat it hot or cold, as an antipasto, side dish or the day after it’s made. It’s often even tastier then.

Sarde a beccafico

The beccafico is a small bird that eats so many figs that it becomes just as fat as the generously filled sardines in this dish. The filling consists of a mixture of breadcrumbs, currants and pine nuts. The sardines are then covered with orange juice, seasoned with bay leaf and gently braised in the oven.

Bistecca alla palermitana

Bistecca is Italian for steak. The version you’ll find in Palermo is served with lemon juice and grilled vegetables such as bell pepper, aubergine and courgette, and garnished with lemon. It’s breaded and prepared on the grill.

Cannoli

The ultimate Italian snack: cannoli are rolled pastries filled with sweet ricotta. The cannoli gets its shape by wrapping the dough around a tube and deep-frying it with the tube still inside. The filling is added just before serving to prevent the pastry from becoming soggy. Cannoli are often topped with candied fruit and pieces of chocolate or pistachio. Our favourite thing about cannoli is the incredible contrast: soft and creamy inside and crispy outside. Here you’ll find the best cannoli in Sicily.

Cassata

A cassata consists of cake and sweetened ricotta, covered with marzipan and topped with candied fruit and whipped cream. Cassata also originated in Palermo. It has sloping sides. The cake is made from sponge cake, which is cut into layers and soaked with Marsala or amaretto.

Cassatelle

Because of their half-moon shape, cassatelle are reminiscent of mini calzones. Unlike the folded pizzas, they’re not filled with a savoury filling, but with a sweet filling of ricotta and sometimes chocolate. They’re deep-fried or baked and then dusted with icing sugar.

La granita

Looking for the ultimate thirst-quencher? Go for a granita: a semi-frozen dessert made with crushed ice, sugar and lemon. The variations are endless: choose fresh fruit, almond, chocolate or pistachio. Granitas are sold almost everywhere as a dessert, but also work perfectly as a savoury intermezzo or even for breakfast – accompanied by a brioche. Don’t be ashamed if you’re already craving a huge granita in the morning. In Sicily, having granita in the morning is completely normal.

Everything pistachio (even an entire festival!)

And you can find our beloved green nut all over the island. From pasta to ice cream, from eating them by the handful to… an actual pistachio festival! During the Sagra del Pistacchio Verde di Bronte, everything revolves around just one thing: pistachio. And not just a little. No, here you’ll be buried up to your ankles in green gold. The streets are packed with stalls selling everything you can imagine made with pistachio. Pasta? Pistachio. Arancini? Pistachio. Sandwiches, ice cream, desserts, pastries? Everything is covered in pistachio cream, sprinkled with chopped nuts or neon green with sauce. Yes, the pistachio wonderland exists. And it’s in Bronte, just a stone’s throw from Mount Etna.

Also read:

• It doesn’t get more Italian than this: astronaut takes tiramisù into space
• Recipe: caponata served in aubergine with stracciatella
• Recipe for an incredible spaghetti with garlic breadcrumbs