Celebrate Sicilian Food With These Italian Recipes

Sfincione

Sfincione is a focaccia-like pizza from Sicily that is traditionally topped with tomato sauce and breadcrumbs. Crushed San Marzano tomatoes make for an intense tomato sauce in this version from Michael Hanna.

Seltz Limone e Sale (Seltzer with Lemon and Sea Salt)

This simple Italian spritz is a popular drink at many chioscos in Sicily for hydration on hot days. Inspired by cookbook author Khushbu Shah, Lucy Simon mixes crisp and effervescent water with lemon juice and Sicilian sea salt harvested from the Mediterranean sea.

Granita di Mandorla con Panna Sotto e Sopra (Almond Granita with Whipped Cream “Top and Bottom”)

The granita in Sicily is not the stiff, icy dessert you might find elsewhere. It has an almost churned texture to it, like a cross between a sorbet and a Slurpee. This refreshing, sweet, nutty, toasty, and creamy dish of almond granita layered with luscious panna (vanilla-sweetened cream) is from Los Angeles chef Evan Funke, who was inspired by one served at Caffè Europa in Catania, Sicily.

Cannoli

The crisp, creamy, and beloved Italian dessert originated in Sicily. Cannoli are made of pastry dough that has been molded into tubes and fried until crispy. The fried pastries are filled with orange-scented mascarpone and ricotta cheese filling and then dipped in chopped chocolate or pistachio.

Arancini al Ragù (Risotto Croquettes with Beef Ragù)

Breaded and deep-fried, these large and hearty risotto balls are from Los Angeles chef Evan Funke, who was inspired by the colossal, teardrop-shaped arancini from Pasticceria Savia, a patisserie in Catania, Sicily, that has been around since 1897.

Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake

Sicilian grandmothers often serve this light cake for tea. Sicilian villa Rocca della Tre Contrade shares its tender version for snacking any time of day.

Pasta ’Ncasciata (Sicilian Baked Pasta)

Sicily has many variations of the baked pasta with eggplant and cheese called ’ncasciata. Chef Michael Gulotta combines tender eggplant, buttery caciocavallo cheese, and crushed tomatoes with al dente rigatoni in this one.

Chicken Scarpariello

Whether “shoemaker’s chicken” originated in Sicily and Calabria or stateside, the dish of skinless, boneless chicken thighs sautéed in a tangy lemon glaze with bell pepper is an Italian-American tradition.

Chicken Marsala

It is said that Chicken Marsala originated when Marie Antoinette’s sister, Queen Maria Carolina of Sicily and Naples, visited Marsala, Sicily, and brought along 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.

Zabaione Ice Cream

Marsala, a fortified wine produced in a town in Sicily by the same name, gives this frozen dessert a caramelized sweetness and a smooth and buttery finish.

Pasta alla Norma

This pasta is the dish of Catania, hometown of Vincenzo Bellini, and is said to take its name from the heroine of one of his most famous operas. The story goes that after seeing Norma performed, friends of the composer were so awestruck they went around describing everything they deemed outstanding as “una vera Norma” (“a real Norma”).

The summer dish is simple: pasta — often penne, sometimes spaghetti — with tomato sauce; silken nuggets of fried eggplant; aromatic basil; and salted ricotta.

Sea Bass with Sicilian Cherry Tomato Sauce

Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos riff on classic Southern Italian puttanesca with their Sicilian Cherry Tomato Sauce, here made with fresh tomatoes to top grilled wild sea bass.

Sicilian Scacciata

Scacciata is a popular Sicilian street food that stuffs a light and crispy bread dough with a variety of fillings. Valeria Messina’s version features gooey provolone cheese, tender broccoli florets, Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and kalamata olives.

Swordfish Sicilian-Style

A lemony, oregano-infused sauce imparts bright flavor to hot-off-the-grill steaks, permeating pricked holes in this recipe from legendary cookbook author and Italian cooking teacher Marcella Hazan.

Orecchiette with Pistachio Pesto

Sicily’s famous pistachio nuts, which are sweet, fruity and almost shockingly bright green, make this pesto stand out.

Sicilian-Style Meatballs

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 eateries in Brooklyn — who take biannual trips to Sicily.