Only original Sicilian recipes paired with Etna Wine 🍷🇮🇹

“ Exploring the enchanting world of food and wine, with precise focus to the traditional Sicilian cuisine – only original and antique recipes – in pairing with the iconic Nerello Mascalese, King of the Wines from Etna Volcano. The mission is celebrate the millions of proud children of Sicilian immigrants around the world and the ever-growing number of Etna wine lovers “.

The Art of Wine and Food Pairing with Nerello Mascalese Wine

1 – BROCCOLI AFFOGATI

Broccoli drowned, in dialect called “rocculi affucati”, are a delicious Sicilian side dish, especially from the city of Catania and are prepared during the Christmas holidays. As often happens with traditional dishes, there are different versions: they can be found with red or white wine, or with tomato sauce. What is always the same is the presence of wine, which makes them “drowned”.
This recipe has very ancient origins and, probably due to its oral transmission, has undergone variations over time, also because, as always, every family that prepares it, always adds a personal touch to make this delicacy unique.

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 20 minutes + 30 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 4 people
400 g of broccoli
100 g of white onions
200 g of tuma cheese
50 g of black olives
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt
50 ml of red wine

Preparation
First, cut the hardest stems and leaves of the broccoli, wash the florets and divide the larger ones into two parts.
Peel the onion, remove the hard outer part and then cut it into thin slices. Also peel the garlic, pit the olives and cut them in half. Finally, cut the cheese into slices.
In a large saucepan, put a drizzle of oil, the garlic and brown it over low heat.
Add half of the broccoli, onions, olives and cheese, making a first layer. Cover with the rest with the other half of the ingredients.
Squeeze lightly, cover with the lid and cook for 15 minutes over low heat.
Occasionally, it is a good idea to stir gently and tilt the pot, so the broccoli doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Remove the garlic clove.
Add the red wine, cover with the lid again and cook for another 15 minutes.
After this time, turn off the heat and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.
To serve. This dish is also excellent at room temperature.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

2 – CAPONATA

There are many schools of thought that bring us back to the word caponata. The oldest is the Greek one and refers to the typical way of cutting vegetables: caponata – Captos – Capto or “cut”. According to another school of thought, the Latin one, the caponata derives from Cauponium or “tavern”, the meeting place of all the sailors who, tired from work, went to drink a glass of wine and eat a piece of seasoned toast with garlic, oil, olives, capers and anchovies. Sure, poor food, but of intense satisfaction.
This dish, only in Sicily, has more than 30 variations and is eaten as an appetizer or side dish.

Difficulty – medium
Preparation time – 60 minutes + 40 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 4 people
1 kg of eggplant
200 g of pitted green olives
500 g of tomatoes
400 g of celery stalks
50 g of desalted capers
60 g of pine nuts
2 white onions
50 g of sugar
50 g of white vinegar
Coarse salt
300 g of seed oil
Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation
Cut the aubergines into cubes, sprinkle them with coarse salt and leave to rest in a colander for at least 1 hour, so that the vegetation water comes out and, with it, the bitterness.
Then cut the celery into cubes, put it in a pot of boiling water with a little salt and let it soften for 5 minutes. Drain it and transfer it to a tea towel.
Chop the onions and let them brown over low heat in a pan with a little oil. Once wilted, add the capers, olives, pine nuts and cook for 10 minutes over high heat, stirring constantly to prevent them from burning (if necessary, add a little water).Cut the tomatoes into cubes and cook them in the pan with the onion for at least 20 minutes, so that the water withdraws and the mixture is well blended.
Fry the celery in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil.
Drain the aubergines, dry them and fry them in 300 grams of seed oil then, once fried, drain and add them to the mixture with the onions. Also add the celery, mix over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, add the vinegar and sugar. Let it evaporate and then turn off the heat.
Serve the caponata decorating with basil leaves.
This dish can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days, even gaining in flavor, and can also be eaten cold.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

3 – CARCIOFI GRIGLIATI

The word artichoke derives from the Arabic “kharshūf” and it is assumed that the arrival of this vegetable in Sicily is due precisely to the domination of this people. The artichoke, thanks to the favorable climate of the Mediterranean island, gave rise to the particular variety called “Sicilian violet” or “Catania violet”, present since the end of the 19th century and, even today, is exported all over the world.
In Catania city, the artichoke is cooked in different ways, but the most typical and loved one is “a caccociula arrustuta” (grilled artichoke) and is never lacking in outdoor grilling.

Difficulty – medium
Preparation time – 15 minutes + 20 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 4 people
8 artichokes
1 bunch of parsley
4 cloves of garlic
Pepper
Fresh garlic leaves (or chives)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Preparation
For this type of recipe, it would be better to choose rather large and tender artichokes.
For the preparation, start by removing the outer leaves and the stem, then wash the artichokes and drain them upside down.
For the filling, finely chop the parsley, garlic and fresh garlic leaves (or, if not found, chives are fine too). Add freshly ground pepper and salt.
Mix everything and distribute the mixture inside the artichokes.
After completing this operation, add a drizzle of oil in each of them.
Light the charcoal and, when it is ready, place the artichokes in the brazier, directly on the lit charcoal, without using grids (you need to exert pressure to create holes in the charcoal to make the artichokes stand “upright”).
The artichokes will be ready when a couple of layers of the outer leaves are burnt (cooking time is around 20 – 30 minutes).
During cooking, keep the brazier away from drafts, in order to keep the fire as slow as possible.
When the artichokes are cooked, remove them from the heat and quickly eliminate the burnt outer leaves.
Serve the grilled artichokes hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

4 – COTOLETTE DI MELANZANE

Aubergine cutlets are a very popular recipe in Palermo city.
Similar in name and breading to the most famous Milanese cutlets, the aubergine cutlets represent a delicious “vegetarian” version and were born as a poor dish, son of street food cuisine: they were prepared, in fact, in the street food shops where it was easy to come across of Palermo.

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 20 minutes + 25 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 4 people
2 eggplants
Coarse salt
3 eggs
200 g of breadcrumbs
80 g of grated caciocavallo
Flour 00
Sunflower oil
Salt
Pepper

Preparation
Wash the aubergines, remove the stalk and then cut them into slices about 1 cm thick.
Arrange them in a colander sprinkling them with coarse salt for about an hour, pressing them with a weight to facilitate the elimination of excess vegetation water.
After this time, rinse them in plenty of running water and let them drain.
Take three plates to arrange the flour, the beaten eggs (seasoned with salt and pepper) and the breadcrumbs mixed with the caciocavallo.
Pass each slice of aubergine first in the flour, then in the egg and, finally, in the breadcrumbs.
Fry the aubergine slices in hot oil on both sides until they have taken on a golden color and a crunchy crust has formed. Arrange them on absorbent paper and serve hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

5 – FRITTELLE DI NEONATO

It is considered one of the most delicious dishes of the Sicilian culinary tradition. The only drawback of this dish is the difficult availability of fish: in fact, trawl nets are used which, for reasons of damage to the fish heritage, are allowed only during the first months of the year and their use is governed by very specific rules. However, the newborn pancakes express to the maximum the sensations of goodness and freshness of a fish dish.

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 20 minutes + 25 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 4 people
500 gr of newborn
1 egg
2 tablespoons of 00 flour
1 sprig of parsley
1 tablespoon of grated pecorino
Sunflower oil for frying
Salt
Lemon slices for decoration (optional)

Preparation
Put the fish in a colander and wash it under running water, removing any pieces of seaweed or other impurities.
Drain the fish and pour it into a bowl, add the beaten egg and the flour and mix everything very gently.
Add the chopped parsley, pecorino cheese and a pinch of salt and, in the meantime, heat the oil in a pan.
Using a spoon, form meatballs and dip them in hot oil.As soon as they are golden brown, place the baby pancakes on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
Serve hot, decorating, if desired, with lemon slices.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

6 – INSALATA ALLA NORMA

This dish is a typical Sicilian appetizer, in particular from the city of Catania and, usually, is consumed in the so-called “arrusti e mangia”, friendly outdoor gatherings in which there are those in charge of cooking food on the grill (especially meat, but also vegetables) and those who only take care of eating them. Salad alla norma is often called grandmother’s salad “insalata della nonna” on menus and can also be enjoyed as a side dish for dishes with a strong flavor, such as red meat.

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 15 minutes
Ingredients for 4 people
4 tomatoes
1 red onion
Basil
Salted ricotta to grate
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Ground black pepper

Preparation
Wash the tomatoes well and cut them into slices.
Also cut the onion into wedges, soak it in a bowl with water for a minute and then squeeze it to drain all the water.
In a large bowl put the tomato and onion.
Season with oil, salt and a pinch of pepper, grate the ricotta salata in abundance, garnish with basil leaves and serve.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

7 – INSALATA DI ARANCE E ARINGA

It is said that this dish has Arab origins due to the use of orange, which arrived on the island at the time of Muslim domination. However, dried and smoked herring came into Sicilian cuisine with the Normans. In any case, it is a dish with poor origins (because its ingredients were easily available and cost little) and which, even today, cannot be missing on Sicilian tables during the Christmas holidays, especially in the Palermo area.
There are many variations of this dish which, over time, have led to its spread to the rest of the Sicilian territory.

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 30 minutes + 20 minutes of rest
Ingredients for 6 people
5 large oranges
1 pomegranate
1 smoked herring (preferably female, with eggs)
100 g of black olives
100 g of green olives
2 shallots
2 fennel
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 organic lemon
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
Salt
Pepper

Preparation
To clean the herring, first cut it into the belly to extract the eggs.
Once the head, tail and central bone have been removed, cut out some fillets and carefully remove all the thorns.
Then lift a flap of the skin and remove it by pulling it off.
Cut the herring into fillets and eggs into not too small pieces and soak them in olive oil.
Peel the oranges and cut them into cubes, also cut the shallot into small rings and thinly slice the fennel.
Put all the ingredients in a salad bowl, season with lemon juice, oregano, oil, salt and pepper, also adding the herring and olives, the pomegranate and mix everything.
Leave the salad to flavor for at least twenty minutes, turning it over from time to time.
Serve fresh.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

8 – INSALATA DI BABBALUCI

Snails (in the dialect “babbaluci”) are a typical Sicilian dish. The term “babbaluci” derives from the Arabic babuch (snail) due to the similarity of the shell of snails to oriental shoes with the tip pointing upwards. It is traditional to taste this dish especially on the evening of the feast of Santa Rosalia (Patroness of the city of Palermo), one of the oldest festivals in the Mediterranean, where religion and folklore come together: during these sacred celebrations, various typical dishes are consumed among the stalls, including babbaluci.

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 4 days of rest + 30 min
Ingredients for 4 people
1 kg of snails
Breadcrumbs
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of fresh parsley
Black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation
Place the snails in a large colander, sprinkle 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, cover with a lid and let the snails drain for about 4 days, checking them every day and adding more breadcrumbs.
After four days, pour the snails into a large bowl full of water, wash them thoroughly and, with a toothpick, remove any impurities.
Pour the snails into a pan full of water over low heat, leave to cook for about 30 minutes. The low flame will cook them and make them come out of the shell.
After the time has elapsed, drain them, pass them under a jet of cold water, pour them into a tureen and season with the finely chopped garlic and the parsley previously washed and chopped, then add the lemon juice, plenty of black pepper and the olive oil. ‘olive. Mix well and serve.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

9 – INSALATA DI CIPOLLE INFORNATE

Baked onions are a typical Sicilian cold and summer salad. The variety used for this dish is known as “Cipolla di Giarratana” (from the homonymous municipality of Ragusa), characterized by large dimensions, flattened shape and infinite sweetness. Usually, it goes well with meats, salami, cheeses or dishes typical of the warm season. In addition to bread, local bakeries also bake onions and other seasonal vegetables, selling them ready in practical paper bags from which an intoxicating scent is released. However, it is possible to easily prepare this typical Sicilian delight even at home.

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 10 minutes + 60 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 4 people
800 g of onions from Giarratana
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Origan

Preparation
Wash the onions, without peeling them, and dry them.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the onions on it and cook them in a preheated oven at 180 ° ventilated (or at 190 ° static) for about 50 minutes or, in any case, until they become tender.
Remove the onions from the oven, let them cool, then peel them, cut them into slices and put them in a salad bowl.
Put the vinegar, oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir until the salt is completely dissolved.
Add a drizzle of oil and mix everything well until a homogeneous emulsion is obtained.
Sprinkle the onions with this freshly prepared sauce, garnish with another pinch of oregano and serve.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

10 – INSALATA DI POLPO

The history of this dish is lost in the narratives of Mediterranean culinary traditions, although someone traces it back to a Sicilian idea of the early sixteenth century. The Mediterranean Sea is, in fact, the natural habitat par excellence of the octopus. In particular, the Palermitans were the first to give suggestions and to reveal the secrets for preparing an excellent octopus salad: cooking to perfection and the addition of parsley and lemon for an incomparable taste. Over time, the basic recipe has been enriched with other typical products of the island, such as potatoes (already present on the island since the sixteenth century), olives and other fresh vegetables. This dish is a typical summer appetizer that cannot be missed in Sicilian fish-based lunches.

Difficulty – medium
Preparation time – 90 minutes
Ingredients for 4 people
1 kg of octopus
1 white onion
1 carrot
1 stick of celery
2 liters of water
1 handful of black peppercorns
For the dressing:
4 sprigs of parsley
1 clove of garlic
2 sticks of celery
2 carrots
10 g of pickled capers
50 g of Sicilian green and black olives with chilli
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon
Salt

Preparation
Clean the octopus by washing it thoroughly under running water, remove the entrails contained in the bag, the eyes, the central tooth and rub it to remove the external patina.
Clean the onion by removing the outer layer and cut it into wedges.
Wash the carrot, remove the ends and cut it into slices about half a centimeter thick.
Wash the celery, remove the spoiled parts and slice it often like carrot.
Put the water and the vegetables in a rather high pot. Add the black peppercorns and put it on the stove.
Bring to a boil and, at this point, add the octopus by taking it from the head.
Cover, wait for it to boil again, then lower the heat to a minimum.
The water should just jump for the duration of cooking, which should last about 20 minutes with the pot covered.
After this time, turn off the heat and let it rest for 20 minutes, always with the pot covered.
Then lift the octopus with kitchen tongs and insert the teeth of a fork at the base of the tentacles. It should go in softly, a sign that the octopus is well cooked. If the meat still resists, continue soaking for another ten minutes.When the octopus is ready, remove it from the pot and place it on a cutting board. If there is still any skin residue, just wipe it with a clean cloth. However, the skin between the tentacles should not be removed because it would ruin them and they would all come off.
Slice the octopus according to your taste, into chunks or thin slices, leaving only the ends of the tentacles a little longer.
Place all the pieces of octopus in a bowl, cover it, and prepare the dressing.
Select the parsley leaves, wash them, pat them with kitchen paper and finely chop them together with the garlic.
Wash the celery, cut the ribs into strips of about half a centimeter on each side and cut into cubes.
Wash the carrots, peel them and cut into cubes the size of celery.
Rinse the capers and squeeze them well.
Stone the olives.
Emulsify the oil with the freshly squeezed lemon juice in a small bowl.
Mix all the ingredients, then season with the oil and the mince and mix well, adjusting with salt if necessary. Finally, serve.
The octopus salad can be eaten both freshly prepared and after having left it to rest in the fridge for about an hour.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

11 – INSALATA VASTASA

It is a dish that fully represents the Palermo summer with all its scents and colors. In ancient times, the “vastasa” salad was not considered an appetizer because its ingredients represent a single dish. Hence the name of “vastasa” to mean a dish that is not “polite”, or rather “load-bearing” like a single dish. To better understand the term “vastaso”, we need to go back to 1700, a time when, in Palermo, the roads were bad. In order not to get dirty, the nobles from Palermo were therefore transported through the streets of the Sicilian capital by the so-called “vastasi”, or those who held the “portantine”, also known as “flying chairs”.

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 10 minutes + 20 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 4 people
500 g of potatoes
200 g of green beans
300 g of Pachino tomatoes
1 Tropea onion
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons of vinegar
Origan
50 g of green olives
50 g of black olives
Salt
Pepper

Preparation
Wash, peel and slice the onion and cherry tomatoes.
Put the potatoes in a pan and cook them in plenty of salted water, leaving the skin behind.
As soon as they are cooked, let them cool and cut them into chunks.
Then boil the green beans, let them cool, cut them and add them to the potatoes and onion.
Transfer all the ingredients to the salad bowl, also adding the cherry tomatoes and olives. Season with vinegar, oil, salt, oregano and pepper and serve.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

12 – MASCULINI CUNZATI

I masculini is the Sicilian name for anchovies, a blue fish widely spread in the Mediterranean and very rich in Omega 3.
Despite being a poor dish of seafood, it is a real delicacy. Its origins are very ancient and it is assumed that this recipe derives from an oral transmission started with the sailors of the island.
Marinated masculini can be presented as a fresh and light appetizer, ideal for a fish-based dinner or lunch, under the bright Sicilian sun.

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 20 minutes + standing time in the freezer
Ingredients for 4 people
500 g of fresh anchovies
2 cloves of garlic
200 ml of lemon juice
1 sprig of parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Chili pepper
Salt

Preparation
To prepare marinated anchovies it is important that the fish is blast chilled, so you need to buy them at least 4 days in advance and keep them in the freezer.
Then you have to open them and deprive them of the bone.
Freeze the anchovies at a temperature of about -18 ° for at least 4 days.
After this time, thaw the anchovies, rinse them under running water and let them drain.
Squeeze the lemons and filter the juice with a sieve until you get about 200 ml.
Spread the anchovies in a large container that contains them in a single layer, with the inside facing upwards.
Pour the lemon juice, so that they remain totally covered, line the container with a sheet of plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
After this time, drain the anchovies from the marinating liquid and transfer them to a serving dish.
Wash, dry and chop the parsley. Peel the garlic and cut it into very thin slices.
Season the anchovies with a drizzle of oil, parsley, garlic, a few pinches of chilli and a few pinches of salt. Cover the plate and leave to flavor for an hour in the refrigerator.
Before serving the raw marinated anchovies, leave them at room temperature for 10 – 15 minutes.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

13 – OLIVE INFORNATE ALLA SICILIANA

Sicilian baked black olives are a traditional appetizer.To make this recipe, you must use ripe black olives that fall from the tree. In the Messina area, in fact, they are called in dialect “alivi mpassuluti”, that is, ripe and dry olives, which are found at the foot of the olive tree. They are black, thick and fleshy. They are perfect to eat with bread, to be served with cold cuts and cheeses during an appetizer and can be kept for a long time, in a jar or in a plastic food bag.

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 10 minutes + 15 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 500 grams
500 gr of large black olives
Fine salt
Coarse salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Water
Origan

Preparation
Choose the most beautiful, ripe and above all smooth black olives.
Wash them under running water and dry them well with a clean cotton cloth. Using the tines of a fork, prick the surface of the olives and then place them in a wicker basket and sprinkle them with coarse salt.
For the next 5 days, place them in the sun from morning to sunset to dry and turn them over from time to time.After this time, immerse the olives in a pot with plenty of boiling water, turn off the heat and leave them in the water for a few minutes.
At this point, drain, dry and arrange the olives on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 150 ° for about 20 minutes.
After the time has elapsed, let them cool and serve with oil, a clove of garlic and oregano (or chilli).
The baked olives can also be stored in an airtight glass jar but, every time they are taken, more oil must be added so as not to allow the formation of mold.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

14 – SARDE A BECCAFICO

Sardines a beccafico are a typical dish of Sicilian cuisine. They are usually served as an appetizer or second course. It is a recipe of humble origins, born as an imitation of a dish destined, in the past, exclusively to the aristocracy: stuffed beccafichi. These birds, stuffed with their own entrails, were the hunting booty of the Sicilian nobles. In the “poor” version, the sardines replaced the birds, while the breadcrumbs, pine nuts and raisins took the place of their entrails.

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 45 minutes
Ingredients for 2 people
300 g of sardines
10 g of pine nuts
50 g of breadcrumbs
15 g of raisins
Parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 orange
Laurel

Preparation
Toast the breadcrumbs in a pan for a few minutes and let it cool.
Coarsely chop the garlic, pine nuts, raisins and parsley.
Season the breadcrumbs with a drizzle of oil, garlic and a pinch of salt and then add the parsley, pine nuts and raisins. Mix everything and let it rest for a few minutes. In the meantime, clean the sardines and put a spoonful of mixture in the center of each sardine and wrap it on itself.
Place the sardines next to each other in a previously oiled baking pan.
Insert a bay leaf between one sardine and the other so that they flavor.
Moisten the sardines in the pan with the orange juice and cook them in a preheated oven at 180 ° for about 15 minutes.
Serve the sardines a beccafico cold.
The beccafico sardines can be kept perfectly in the refrigerator for about two days.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 12°C

15 – ZUZZU

The zuzzu has very ancient origins that sink into the poor peasant cuisine. It was the custom of less well-off families to treasure every part of the pig destined for waste (such as ears, snout, rind and tongue) and transform them into this delicious, very tasty jelly. This dish, thanks to the typicality of its processing, has been included in the list of Traditional Italian Agri-food Products (PAT), drawn up by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. In Sicily, zuzzu is very popular and is prepared especially in winter, to be served as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to eggs and vegetables.

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 60 minutes
Ingredients for 4 people
800 g of pork offal (ears, snout, rind, tongue)
1 lemon
White wine vinegar
3 bay leaves
Salt
Pepper

Preparation
Boil the pork offal in abundant salted water, adding a tablespoon of black peppercorns.
Cook, drain and leave to cool.
Remove any bones and cut the meat into cubes.
Degrease the broth by removing the impurities on the surface, add three tablespoons of vinegar and the juice of a whole lemon and bring back to the boil.
Filter everything, put it back on the heat and boil again.
Repeat the operation for at least two more times.
The final result will be a very clear broth.
Arrange the pieces of meat in a bowl, season with plenty of ground pepper and cover with the hot broth so that the meat is completely immersed.
Leave to cool until the broth has perfectly congealed turning into jelly.
Finally, cut the zuzzu into slices and serve with a few drops of lemon squeezed on top.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

16 – ANELLETTI AL FORNO

This pasta shape was probably born in the mills built by the Arabs during their domination on the island: according to some legends, in fact, the rings would have taken the shape of the earrings that Arab women wore in Sicily.
Baked anelletti, widespread especially in Palermo but known throughout the region, are the perfect dish for any occasion.

Difficulty – medium
Preparation time – 2 hours and 30 minutes
Ingredients for 6 people
500 g of anelletti
250 g of minced veal
250 g of minced pork
2 eggplants
1 carrot
2 sticks of celery
1 onion
200 g of peas
1.5 l of tomato sauce
150 g of tomato paste
1 sprig of parsley
4 basil leaves
250 g of tuma
1 glass of red wine
3 bay leaves
1 clove of garlic
70 g of grated caciocavallo
Breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon of sugar
Nutmeg
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preparation

To prepare the sauce, finely chop the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, clove of garlic and sauté everything in plenty of oil.

Add the chopped and brown it over high heat for a few minutes, blending with the wine.

Then add the tomato paste, the sauce and the peas, seasoning with salt and pepper and adding a pinch of nutmeg and a teaspoon of sugar. Finally, add the basil and bay leaves.

Cook everything over medium heat for about an hour and a half, stirring often until the mixture is full-bodied.

While the sauce is cooking, cut the aubergines, one into chunks and the other into slices. You have to leave them in a colander for over an hour with some coarse salt, to remove the water. Then rinse them with running water and dry them with a cloth.

In a pan, pour plenty of olive oil and fry the aubergines. When they are cooked, place them on absorbent paper.

Boil the anelletti in boiling salted water, drain them al dente and put them back in the pan.

Pour a tablespoon of caciocavallo into the pasta, add part of the meat sauce and the fried aubergine into pieces.

Grease a baking tray, sprinkle the bottom with breadcrumbs and start composing the timbale: arrange the slices of aubergine in a radial pattern on the bottom, then pour half the pasta, adding a little more sauce and the tuma into chunks. Pour the other half of the pasta, pressing well and finish with the remaining sauce, a spoonful of caciocavallo and a handful of breadcrumbs.

Put in the oven at 200 ° for about 30 minutes.

Before portioning the baked anelletti, let them rest for a few minutes and serve them still hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

17 – COUS COUS ALLA TRAPANESE

Cous cous initially arrived in eastern Sicily with the Arab domination and, in a short time, it became a traditional dish, especially in the city of Trapani.

Unlike the Moroccan couscous (which includes a meat and vegetable sauce), the one from Trapani is prepared with soup fish.

Despite the richness and elaboration of this dish, the Sicilian version of cous cous is considered a popular and poor dish since, in the past, fishing was one of the main activities in the area.

Difficulty – high

Preparation time – 4 hours

Ingredients for 6 people

For the couscous:

1 kg of coarse semolina for couscous

200 cl of water

250 ml of extra virgin olive oil

100 g of white onion

10 g of whole sea salt

5 cloves

7 black peppercorns

1 cinnamon bark

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 bay leaves

20 peppercorns

black pepper

10 g of sea salt

For the dressing:

2 kg of fish for soup (capone, gurnard, grouper in slices, crustaceans, molluscs)

600 g of peeled and chopped red tomatoes

1 onion

Parsley

2 cloves of garlic

1 glass of dry white wine

Saffron

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

For the couscous, start by salting the cold water and pouring a handful of semolina on a wooden pastry board.

Drain a little water and incorporate it into the semolina by rotating your open hand clockwise, three complete rotations are sufficient.

As the semolina is ready, spread it out on the pastry board to dry. You have to keep working it in a corner.

Season the cous cous, a little at a time, with the oil, rubbing it gently between your hands.

Then add the onions cut into rather large slices, the cloves, cinnamon and pepper.

Cover the bottom of the pillow with bay leaves and pour in the couscous. Put the pillow on the pan filled with 4/5 of water and a drizzle of oil.

If the cushion is made of terracotta, seal the junction point between the cushion and the pot with a wet rag. If the cushion is made of interlocking metal, there is no need to seal.

Make 5 holes in the couscous with the handle of a wooden spoon, cover the pot and turn the fire to the maximum under the pot.

When the steam comes out of the holes, stir the couscous, partially cover with the lid, lower the heat and take the time: the cous cous will be ready after about 2 hours. Stir every 10 minutes and, during the last half hour, cook in an uncovered pot.

A trick to obtain the perfect cooking is to cut the onion into 6 wedges and check that, at the end of cooking, it is completely undone.

Transfer the cous cous to a large bowl and sprinkle it with 8 ladles of boiling fish broth.

Wait for the broth to be absorbed and place a wooden spoon in the center of the cous cous.

Cover it with a white cloth by placing it on the ladle so that it forms a kind of hut, then cover with a blanket and let it rest for 1 hour.

Your cous cous will be ready.

For the dressing, chop a large onion and sauté it in olive oil in a very large pan and at least 25 cm high.

When the onion is wilted, add a chopped parsley and 2 minced cloves of garlic.

Before the garlic starts to brown, add a glass of dry white wine and let it evaporate completely.

Add the peeled and chopped tomatoes. Allow the sauce to flavor over low heat and, when it is dry, add a quantity of water equal to double the volume of your fish.

Then add the saffron and leave this broth to cook over low heat for 10 minutes from the moment of boiling.

Turn off the heat, filter the broth, season with salt, pepper and put it back on the heat.

When the boil resumes, incorporate the fish by placing the firm meat underneath and the tender meat ones on top.

If the broth is low, add boiling water so that the fish is completely covered.

Cook over low heat for about 8-10 minutes from the resumption of boiling.

Halfway through cooking, taste the broth and season with salt.

Then add the well washed and whole crustaceans, with all the shells.

Never mix the fish with a ladle, as it would fall apart: just shake the pan with two hands.

Shellfish, such as mussels, clams, cockles, must be opened separately and added at the last moment.

After having seasoned the cous cous with the hot fish broth (8 ladles) and after the rest time, to serve.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

18 – MACCO DI FAVE

The presence of broad beans has been attested in the Mediterranean area since the Bronze Age.

Subsequently, in the Middle Ages, during the famine, beans in Sicily had a great diffusion thanks to their very high nutritional value, so much so that they were defined as “the meat of the poor”. They were cooked in various ways, including the famous “macco”, a kind of dried broad bean polenta.

Today macco is among the typical Sicilian first courses and pasta is often added to broad beans.

This dish can be prepared all year round: in spring you can find fresh broad beans and, in the colder months, you can use dry ones.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 1 hour + 45 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

400 g of spaghetti

300 g of fresh broad beans

1 onion

Wild fennel

Salt

Extra virgin olive oil

black pepper

Preparation

For 300g of fresh broad beans you need about 1kg. Empty the pods and remove the beans.

Rinse the shelled beans.

Slice an onion and brown it in extra virgin olive oil. Shortly after, add the broad beans, fennel, salt and leave to cook.

Cover the beans with water and, when all the liquid has evaporated, mix vigorously so that the beans come apart, becoming almost a puree.

Cover again with a little water until you get a thick soup. Bring to a boil and add the broken spaghetti.

Stir often, especially towards the end because the dough tends to stick easily. When the pasta is still al dente, turn off the heat.

Add a couple of rounds of extra virgin olive oil, mix and serve, adding a sprinkling of black pepper. Let it rest for a few minutes and then serve.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

19 – PASTA A CINQUE BUCHI

Legend has it that five-hole pasta was born from a mistake: a Catania pasta maker, in honor of the celebrations of S. Agata (patron saint of the city), had to prepare a good quantity of macaroni for a noble Catania family, but he got the size wrong and he had the idea of combining the macaroni in five, thus giving life to the five-hole pasta, with a larger central hole and four smaller side holes, topped with a rich ragù.

This particular shape of pasta is consumed from the first days of February, when the celebrations for S. Agata begin and continues its presence on the table until Carnival.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 2 hours and 30 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

500 g of macaroni 5 holes

500 g of pork in chunks with rind

500 g of pork sausage with fennel seeds

500 g of pork ribs

4 slices of veal rump

1 liter of tomato sauce

200 g of tomato paste

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 stalk of celery

4 slices of speck

1 hard-boiled egg

1 potato

1 carrot

2 bay leaves

½ glass of red wine

Salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Black pepper

Basil

Preparation

First, prepare the rolls with the veal rump to be stuffed with speck, a slice of potato and a slice of hard-boiled egg, a pinch of salt and pepper. These rolls, then, will be closed by fixing them with toothpicks or kitchen twine.

In a frying pan, brown the veal rolls first with oil and a little salt and then, subsequently, the ribs and touches of pork.

In a large pot, prepare a sauté with plenty of oil, the garlic cloves (to be removed halfway through cooking) and chopped onion, carrot and celery.

Add the previously browned pieces of meat and blend them with half a glass of red wine; let the alcoholic part evaporate and incorporate the concentrate and tomato puree with about 1 liter of water. Then add the basil, bay leaf (to be removed at the end of cooking), black pepper and season with salt, letting everything cook over moderate heat with a lid for about two hours.

Only halfway through cooking add the sausage knots. When the meat is well cooked and the tomato is thick, the sauce is ready.

At this point, cook the five-hole pasta in abundant salted water for about 10/15 minutes and then dress it with the sauce.

Serve the dish garnished with a few pieces of meat and sausage to make it worthy of an excellent Carnival lunch.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

20 – PASTA AL FORNO ALLA SICILIANA

In Sicily, the one for baked pasta is a real cult: there are many variations, but the identifying note of all is the golden crust on the surface and the abundant and rich filling.

The scent of pasta being cooked in the oven brings to mind holidays, but it is a dish that can make any occasion special, like a picnic outdoors.

In all likelihood, the arrival of baked pasta in Sicily can be traced back to the sumptuous timbales that the Arabs introduced during their domination on the Mediterranean island starting from the ninth century.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 2 hours and 30 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

300 g of rigatoni

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 small white onion

200 g of minced pork

100 ml of red wine

300 ml of tomato sauce

Fine salt

Coarse salt

3 eggs

black pepper

40 g of Sicilian pecorino

120 g of primo sale cheese

20 g of breadcrumbs

Preparation

Put the oil and the finely chopped onion in a small saucepan and fry it over medium heat.

When the onion is golden brown, add the meat and raise the heat.

Brown the meat and deglaze with the red wine making it evaporate completely, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

When cooked, season with salt.

Then add the tomato puree, a pinch of salt, mix well and cook everything over low heat for 1 hour from the resumption of boiling.

Meanwhile, beat 2 eggs in a dish adding a handful of pepper and half of the grated pecorino. The third egg will be boiled until it becomes hard.

Cut the first salt cheese into slices. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C.

Meanwhile, boil the pasta in plenty of salted water, drain it al dente and then put it in a bowl together with the sauce, mixing everything.

Grease a baking dish with a drizzle of oil and place a layer of pasta on the bottom. Add a little breadcrumbs, slices of cheese, a few spoonful of egg and a few slices of hard-boiled egg.

Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used up, finishing with the remaining grated Pecorino.

Bake in a hot oven for 40 minutes. Towards the end of cooking, if the pasta has not browned sufficiently, turn on the grill.

After cooking, remove the pan from the oven, let the pasta rest for about 15 minutes and then serve.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

21 – PASTA AL PESTO DI PISTACCHIO

The origins of the pistachio date back to the second half of the 19th century, when the Arabs imported this precious fruit, now considered the “green gold” of Sicily.

Since its import, pistachio has developed throughout the island and in particular in Bronte (a village in the province of Catania on the slopes of Etna), so much so that since 2009 it has enjoyed the protected designation of origin DOP.

Bronte’s green gold is harvested every two years in September, but the fruit of the harvest is available all year round.

The pistachio pesto, therefore, is one of the most typical Sicilian gastronomic products.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 30 minutes

Ingredients for 6 people

150 g of Bronte pistachios

600 g of short pasta

50 g of chopped pistachios

Basil

salt

pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Shell the pistachios and then put them in boiling water for a few minutes, in order to be able to peel them more easily.

Then peel the pistachios, being careful not to burn them.

Take a mortar (or a blender) and put the pistachios and basil inside.

Pound the ingredients, adding the olive oil a little at a time, creating a cream.

Finally add the grated cheese and mix everything together.

Cook the pasta, setting aside a little cooking water and drain it al dente.

Then put the pasta in a pan with the pesto and sauté, adding a little cooking water.

Serve by completing with more grated cheese and chopped pistachios.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

22 – PASTA ALLA NORMA

Pasta alla Norma is attributed to the city of Catania, so much so that it has become its symbol dish par excellence.

There are at least two versions of the story of this dish: according to some, the Sicilian playwright Nino Martoglio, in front of a dish of pasta so seasoned, would have exclaimed “It’s a Norma!”, Indicating its supreme goodness and comparing it to the work of Vincenzo Bellini .

According to others, to further justify the dedication, the recipe was perfected by a Sicilian chef on the occasion of the celebrations for the new opera by the great composer from Catania.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 60 minutes + 20 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

400 g of maccheroni pasta

300 g of tomato sauce

Garlic

Fresh basil

Extra virgin olive oil

2 Eggplants

Salt

Seed oil for frying

Ricotta salata

Preparation

Start by cutting the aubergines into 4 parts and then each clove into slices a couple of millimeters thick. Immediately after, fry them in a large pan with plenty of boiling oil for 1 – 2 minutes and put them to drain on absorbent paper.

If fresh tomatoes are used for the sauce, these will be cut and blanched in water for 10 minutes and then passed to the blender to obtain the pulp.

If, on the other hand, you will use peeled tomatoes or peeled datterini tomatoes, you will need to pass them directly to the blender to obtain a smooth sauce.

Fry 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan, the peeled and lightly crushed garlic. After a few seconds, add the tomato sauce and a part of basil.

Cook for 15 minutes over medium heat, until you get a fragrant sauce. Finally add the salt and a few more fresh basil leaves.

When the sauce is ready, remove the garlic.

Cook the macaroni perfectly al dente in plenty of water and coarse salt, then drain and pour them directly into the sauce put back on the heat over low heat. Mix everything well.

Compose each dish with pasta, fried aubergines, grated salted ricotta and fresh basil.

Pasta alla norma can be kept for the evening or even for the next day. Just put it on the stove with a little oil and mix everything together.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

23 – PASTA ALLA PAOLINA

It is a recipe that was born in Palermo by a friar belonging to the Order of Minims founded by San Francesco di Paola. To the rules common to all religious orders of “obedience, poverty and chastity”, Francis had also added the observance of a perpetual “Lenten life”, hence the prohibition on consuming meat, milk, eggs and cheese.

For this reason, a Pauline friar in charge of preparing meals, driven by the desire to serve his brothers dishes capable of satisfying not only the religious spirit but also the taste, invented the recipe for Pasta alla Paolina.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 30 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

400 g of bucatini

2 cloves of garlic

200 g of tomato paste

8 salted anchovy fillets (already cleaned)

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

4 cloves

Breadcrumbs

Basil

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

Finely chop the garlic and brown it in a pan with plenty of olive oil.

As soon as it is golden brown, add the anchovies and let them unravel over low heat.

Add the tomato paste dissolved in a cup of water, the basil, cinnamon and cloves. Season with salt and pepper and reduce the sauce for 10 minutes.

Finally, remove the garlic.

Toast the breadcrumbs in a pan with a drizzle of oil until it takes on an amber color.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water and drain it a couple of minutes before cooking. Then put it in the sauce and whisk everything for a couple of minutes.

Sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs and serve the pasta alla paolina hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

24 – PASTA CON I BROCCOLI ARRIMINATI

Pasta with broccoli arriminati (called in dialect “pasta chi ruocculi arriminati”) is one of the Palermo dishes par excellence.

The term “arriminato” means mixed and derives from the act of continuous mixing that serves to make this broccoli-based dressing creamy.

The typical pasta used for this dish is bucatino, capable of accommodating all flavors.

This recipe comes from the union between the Arab and Spanish cultures, present in Sicily at different times: the use of saffron and pine nuts testifies to it.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 2 hours

Ingredients for 4 people

500g broccoli

400 g of bucatini

1 onion

4 anchovy fillets in oil

1 tablespoon of raisins

1 tablespoon of pine nuts

1/2 tablespoon of tomato extract

1 sachet of saffron

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

Clean the broccoli and cut them into small pieces. Then rinse it under running water and boil it in a large pot with salted water.

When the broccoli is cooked, drain it and let it cool, but without throwing away the cooking water that will be used to cook the pasta.

Finely chop the onion, pour it into a large saucepan with a drizzle of oil and fry over low heat for a few minutes.

At this point, add the chopped anchovy fillets, pine nuts and raisins squeezed but previously placed in a glass of hot water.

Finally, pour the tomato extract, the saffron dissolved in a drizzle of cooking water and cook for a couple of minutes.

After this time, add the broccoli cut into small pieces, season with salt and cover with a lid, letting it simmer over high heat for about 25 minutes.

At this point, remove some of the seasoning and keep it aside.

Boil the bucatini in the broccoli cooking water and, when there are 2-3 minutes left, put them in the saucepan with the broccoli, mix and finish cooking.

Serve the pasta with the broccoli garnishing the dish with some of the sauce that had been set aside and a sprinkle of pepper.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

25 – PASTA CON I TENERUMI

Despite being a poor dish of the Palermo tradition, pasta with tenerumi has few rivals in the culinary culture of the Sicilian capital.
The tenerumi are the leaves and shoots of the courgette, the long variety. It is one of the oldest courgettes: it was cultivated by the Phoenicians, the Greeks and then the Romans. In Sicily, probably due to the need dictated by hunger, this dish, considered in the rest of Italy a waste to be eliminated, becomes a real delicacy and the habit of using broken spaghetti reaffirms the need for a poor cuisine, which was satisfied of the remnants.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 20 minutes + 10 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

250 g of spaghetti

1 bunch of fresh tenerumi

400 g of peeled tomatoes

1 clove of garlic

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

salt

Salted ricotta (optional)

Preparation

Wash the tomatoes and put them in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then drain them, cool them, peel them and, finally, cut them into small pieces.

In a saucepan, pour a generous round of olive oil and add a whole clove of garlic. As soon as the garlic begins to fry, add the tomato, season with salt, season with basil leaves and cook for about 5-10 minutes, until the tomato sauce has shrunk.

In the meantime, clean the tenerumi taking only the leaves. Wash them, drain them and cut them into strips. Then peel the courgette and cut it into small pieces.

Fill a pot of water halfway and put it on the stove. When the water boils, add both the zucchini and the tenerumi and cook them for a couple of minutes.

Eliminate excess water (keeping it aside in case you need it).

With the immersion blender, blend a part of the tenerumi.

Add the pasta (break up the spaghetti), add salt and let it boil again. Then pour the tomato sauce into the pot and mix everything.

Season with salt and let the pasta cook. When cooked, add the fresh basil chopped by hand.

Serve the pasta with the tenerumi with, if necessary, a veil of grated salted ricotta.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

26 – PASTA CON LE SARDE

According to tradition, pasta with sardines was invented by an Arab cook of General Eufemio da Messina, during the military campaign of the Arabs in Syracuse. The cook had to feed the numerous troops but, finding himself in difficult conditions, he had to invent a dish with what the nature of that place offered him. So it was that I think of combining fish, sardines in fact, with the flavors of the earth, that is wild fennel and pine nuts.

Pasta with sardines is one of the most famous and typical dishes of Sicilian cuisine, a point to have been included in the list of traditional Italian agri-food products (P.A.T) of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 30 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

300 g of bucatini

400 g of fennel

300 g of fresh sardines

30 g of raisins

30 g of pine nuts

2 anchovy fillets

1 onion

Saffron powder

Breadcrumbs

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

First, clean the fennel, obtaining only the most tender part, wash it and boil it in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes. After this time, drain it, keeping the cooking water in the pot.

Clean the sardines, opening them like a book and removing the head and the central bone with the tail.

Soak the raisins in the water.

Chop the onion and put it in a large pan with the chopped anchovy fillets, a glass of water, a pinch of salt and 70 g of oil. Cook until it sizzles, then add half a sachet of saffron dissolved in a little water.

Add the drained and squeezed raisins to the onion, the pine nuts and cook for 1 minute, stirring.

Then add the sardines, the chopped fennel and add the pepper.

Cover with the lid and cook for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the bucatini in the fennel cooking water, brought back to the boil, then drain when al dente and pour into the pan with the sauce. Stir gently to make the pasta flavor.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

27 – PASTA CON PESCE SPADA E MENTA

This dish contains some of the most typical ingredients of Sicily: eggplant and swordfish.

It is a simple recipe that belongs to the poor seafaring cuisine, but its flavor makes it a real delicacy to be consumed, as per tradition, especially during the summer season.

Almost certainly the recipe for this dish has been handed down orally over time, which is why there are variants in which, in addition to the basic ingredients, we can also find almonds or breadcrumbs.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 15 minutes + 20 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

360 g of caserecce

300 g of swordfish

200 g of eggplant

300 g of Pachino tomatoes

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon of salted capers

5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Salt

1 dry chilli

Mint

Preparation

Start by washing the aubergines well and then cut them into rather large cubes.

Take the swordfish steak, remove the skin and cut it into cubes similar in size to aubergines.

Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into four parts.

In a large non-stick pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil, add the aubergines, salt and cook over high heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring often, until the aubergines are golden.

Once ready, drain on absorbent paper.

Leave the oil that the aubergines have released once cooked in the pan and add the peeled clove of garlic, chopped chilli and swordfish. Brown the fish on all sides, cooking it for 2-3 minutes. At this point, add the cherry tomatoes, the desalted capers and a few mint leaves. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 7-8 minutes. After this time, remove the lid, add the aubergines and let the sauce thicken.

Boil the pasta in abundant salted water, drain it al dente and transfer it to the pan with the sauce. Mix everything for a couple of minutes, adding a ladle of its cooking water. Finally serve.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

28 – PASTA CON ZUCCHINE FRITTE E RICOTTA SALATA

It is a recipe of Palermo origin, but also very widespread in the rest of the region, especially during the summer season.

The peculiarity of this dish lies in the type of zucchini used, because it is the white zucchini from Sicily, very light green in color and medium-long in size, used exclusively for frying.

This pasta can be enjoyed both hot and cold, which is why it is also suitable for outdoor occasions.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 30 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

400 g of short pasta

2 white zucchini

1 clove of garlic

Ricotta salata

Mint

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

Wash the zucchini and scrape the peel with a knife.

Then cut the zucchini into thin slices, put them in a colander and salt them.

Let them rest for about an hour and then fry them in plenty of olive oil together with the whole clove of garlic.

In a separate pot, cook the pasta in abundant salted water, drain it al dente and then put it in the pan with the zucchini. Remove the garlic and mix the ingredients well.

Serve the dish with generous slices of zucchini, adding a few mint leaves, a generous grating of salted ricotta and a sprinkling of pepper.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

PASTA CON ZUCCHINE FRITTE E RICOTTA SALATA

29 – SPAGHETTI AL NERO DI SEPPIA

Cuttlefish ink pasta was born in eastern Sicily, where fishermen were looking for a way not to throw away anything of this mollusk and the housewives thought of adding a fried garlic, cherry tomatoes and parsley to the ink of this marine creature.

With this dish, the latter have also managed to pay homage to Etna, the volcano that overlooks their city: the pasta topped with squid ink placed on top together with the tomato sauce and sheep’s ricotta recalls, in fact, a real and its “snow-covered volcano”, with also the lava flow.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 15 minutes + 30 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

600 g of spaghetti

700 g of cuttlefish

500 g of tomato pulp

1 onion

1 clove Garlic

2 tablespoons of white wine

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Chili pepper

1 basil leaf

Grated ricotta

Preparation

First of all, you have to start by making sure that the cuttlefish contains the bag with its beautiful black, so it is better to ask the fishmonger you trust and possibly have it extracted by him, since it is very delicate and, breaking it first, would compromise the success of the dish.

Then keep the black aside, peel the cuttlefish and cut it into small pieces.

Prepare a sauté with chopped garlic and onion and add the cuttlefish.

Brown for a minute, add salt and deglaze with two tablespoons of white wine.

Then add the chopped tomatoes finely crushed or passed quickly to the mixer, season with salt and cook for 10-15 minutes.

As soon as the boiling is evident, gently take the bag that contains the black (perhaps with a pair of gloves), add it to the sauce by opening it gently and stir to make it melt well.

Cook for a few more minutes, then turn off and add the chilli.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in abundant and lightly salted water, drain it al dente and season with part of the squid ink, mixing well.

Finally serve, completing each dish with a further ladle of seasoning, a sprinkling of grated ricotta and, finally, a large basil leaf for decoration.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

30 – PASTA ALLA PICCHIO PACCHIO

The origin of the term “Picchio Pacchio” better known as “Pic Pac”, in the popular tradition of Palermo, is explained for two different reasons: someone claims that it is alluded to the name with which the female sex is indicated, so this analogy would refer to something good and tempting. Others think, however, that this nice term comes from the “tapping” sizzle of the tomato thrown into hot oil which, by tradition, is thrown into the pan all at once.

Over time, this dish has spread throughout the island where it is often also called with the name of “spaghetti alla carrettiera”.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 15 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

1.5 kg of cherry tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

1 onion

Fresh basil

Salt

black pepper

350 g of pasta

Grated Caciocavallo

Preparation

Wash the tomatoes, peel them, cut them into cubes, removing the seeds.

In a pan, sauté the garlic cloves and the diced onion.

After a few minutes, pour the diced tomatoes all at once, as tradition dictates. You will hear the sizzle.

Mix and cook for a few moments. Season with salt and pepper and also add a few leaves of fresh basil chopped with your hands.

Let the sauce dry for about 2-3 minutes: the tomato must remain firm.

Meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil in a pot and cook the spaghetti in it. After the cooking time has elapsed, drain the pasta and add it to the pan together with the “Picchio Pacchio” sauce. Mix and let it all flavor.

Serve the spaghetti still hot, sprinkle with a handful of grated Caciocavallo and garnish the dish with whole fresh basil leaves.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

31 – AGGRASSATO DI CARNE

The “aggrassata” meat, or stew with potatoes, is a very famous dish of the Sicilian culinary tradition.

The term “aggrassato” derives from the French verb “glacer” (to glaze) and refers to the type of preparation of the dish, in which the glaze is given by cooked onions which, become puree, wrap the meat, just as in pastry a glaze covers a sweet.

There is no “aggrassato” the same for everyone: each family follows its own procedure.

This recipe represents one of the most traditional dishes cooked in the family on Sundays.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

1 kg of veal for stew cut into small pieces

1 kg of potatoes

1 kg of white onions

1 sprig of rosemary

2 bay leaves

50 g of extra virgin olive oil

1 \ 2 glass of white wine

Preparation

In a large pot, put the oil, the sliced onions and the herbs.

Fry over very low heat, stirring for 5 minutes.

Add the meat and brown it, stirring it, for 5 minutes and then add the white wine and let it evaporate.

Season with salt and cook over low heat and with the lid on for 50 minutes, until the meat is very soft.

During cooking, check if the cooking juices have dried and, if necessary, add a few tablespoons of hot water.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Fry them in abundant oil for 5 minutes, turning them all over: they just have to brown.

Once ready, drain them on absorbent paper to remove excess oil and add them to the meat.

Leave to cook for 10 minutes, stirring gently and serve.
Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

32 – CARNE DI CAVALLO ALLA BRACE

Italians are among the world’s largest consumers of horse meat.

It is a bright red meat, extremely low in fat but very rich in protein and iron and with a savory taste but with sweetish nuances.

In Catania, horse meat is a real must.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 7 min

Ingredients for 4 people

For the sauce (called “salmoriglio”):

100 ml of extra virgin olive oil

50 ml of red wine vinegar

Salt

Pepper

1 sprig of oregano

For the slices:

800 g of horse slices

For the meatballs:

500 g of ground horse meat

2 eggs

70 g of caciocavallo

80 g of breadcrumbs

1 shallot

1 clove of garlic

Parsley

Salt

pepper

Lemon leaves

For the onions:

8 spring onions

8 slices of fresh bacon

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

For the sauce (salmoriglio):

Put the oil in a bowl and beat it vigorously with a whisk or fork. Gradually add the vinegar and continue beating. Finally, add a pinch of pepper and salt. Mix well, cover the bowl and let the salmoriglio rest for 10 – 15 minutes in a cool place.

When it is time to use it to season the meat, take the sprig of oregano, dip it well into the bowl and brush the meat with it directly on the grill.

For the slices:

Put the slices of horse on the grill and cook them for a couple of minutes on each side, sprinkling them with the “salmoriglio”, using the sprig of oregano as a “brush”. Serve immediately.

For the meatballs:

Start by washing the lemon leaves well and then dry them with a clean cloth.

Chop the garlic, parsley and finely slice the shallot.

In a bowl, place the minced horse, shallot, garlic, parsley, caciocavallo, breadcrumbs and beaten eggs.

Mix all the ingredients by hand, until you have a homogeneous mixture.

Shape into slightly elongated and lightly crushed meatballs and place each between two lemon leaves.

Cook the meatballs on the barbecue grill (brushing them with the salmoriglio, using the oregano branch) for about 5 minutes per side and serve immediately.

For the cipollate:

the cipollate, made up of spring onions wrapped in bacon, are the most classic side dish to accompany grilled horse meat. Their preparation is quick.

Clean the spring onions, removing the hard outer leaves and wash them thoroughly.

Roll the fresh pancetta around the spring onions, keeping it taut and then season with salt and pepper.

At this point, cook the cipollate on the grill for about 10 minutes (brushing them with the salmoriglio, using the oregano branch), turning them every so often so that the cooking is uniform.

Serve very hot.
Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°

33 – CONIGLIO IN AGRODOLCE

Sweet and sour, traditionally composed of onion, white wine vinegar and sugar, is a typical preparation of Sicilian cuisine imported by the Arabs.

The rabbit, on the other hand, has a pre-Christian origin: with its proverbial fertility, this rodent had become the symbol of rebirth and the awakening of nature in spring.

The consumption of the rabbit, extremely widespread in Sicily, follows the hunting calendar: for the wild one it goes from October to early December and then, to a greater extent, at the beginning of the spring period, especially close to Easter. because this dish is very common on Sicilian tables during this holiday.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 15 minutes + 60 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

1 rabbit

1 white onion

1 celery

2 carrots

1 tablespoon of salted capers

100 g of pitted green olives

30 g of pine nuts

120 ml of vinegar

60 ml of red wine

40 g of sugar

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

The preparation of this recipe can start from the butcher: you have to order the rabbit in four parts.

Pour half a tablespoon of vinegar on each of the still raw parts of the rabbit and add a very light handful of pepper and salt.

Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over low heat, put the rabbit in it and cook it for about 10 minutes until golden brown (it will need to be turned a couple of times).

After this time, put the rabbit in another container and add the wine made previously, heat over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.

Leave the rabbit aside.

In the pan put the sliced onion, pine nuts, olives, capers washed with salt, carrots, sliced celery stalks and cook them for about 7 minutes over low heat.

At this point, add the rabbit and let it cook over medium heat for about 35 minutes. When there are about 7-8 minutes left, pour the rest of the vinegar into a pan and heat it over medium heat for about 2 minutes, then add the sugar and mix, letting it cook for another 5-6 minutes.

Pour the thick liquid obtained into the rabbit pan and continue cooking, again over medium heat, for a further 10 minutes. Extinguish the flame.

The sweet and sour rabbit is served warm, to enhance the aroma.
Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

34 – FALSOMAGRO

The “falsomagro” (“fassumauru” in dialect) is one of the cornerstones of traditional Sicilian cuisine.

It is eaten on the occasion of the most important holidays and was introduced in Sicily by the French during the Angevin domination of the thirteenth century.

There are several theories on the origin of the name. According to the most widespread theory, the term derives from “farce”, “stuffing”, then transformed into “fassu”, therefore “fassumauru”, meaning lean meat with stuffing.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 30 minutes + 60 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

For the stuffing:

600 g of beef in a single slice

150 g of ground beef

25 g of pecorino

2 hard-boiled eggs

20 g of lard

50 g of caciocavallo

50 g of mortadella

For the sauce:

1 onion

1 carrot

1 stick of celery

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

pepper

50 ml of red wine

500 g of tomato puree

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

Preparation

In a bowl combine the minced meat with the grated pecorino and mix.

Now take the slice of meat, beat it with a meat mallet and spread the minced meat in the center.

Cut the mortadella, lard and caciocavallo into strips and arrange them on the layer of minced meat.

After having prepared two hard-boiled eggs, add the latter shelled but whole.

Close the meat on itself and tie it with kitchen twine, in order to obtain a large roll of meat with the filling inside.

Fry the chopped celery, carrot and onion in a pan with oil and, shortly after, add the meat, brown the stuffed roll on both sides and then deglaze with the wine.

Then add the tomato puree, concentrate, salt and pepper and mix gently.

Leave everything to cook for an hour, turning the meat a couple of times.

After this time, remove the roll from the pan and remove the twine.

Put the falsomagro on a serving dish, cut it into slices, sprinkle with the sauce and serve.
Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

35 – INVOLTINI DI PESCE SPADA

Swordfish rolls are a dish of the Sicilian tradition, especially Catania, also due to the charm of the legend, according to which the fishermen of this city sang a chant in dialect to attract and capture swordfish.

There are several versions of this recipe; it all depends on the Sicilian coastal area in which they are cooked, even if the principles of this dish are still maintained, such as the presence, in the filling, of breadcrumbs, capers and pine nuts.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 30 minutes + 60 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

8 slices of swordfish 0.5 cm thick

1 tablespoon of desalted capers

Chopped parsley

Juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons of seasoned Caciocavallo

Origan

1 clove of garlic

Raisins

Pine nuts

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Breadcrumbs

Preparation

Put the capers, parsley, and garlic in the mixer, chop finely and transfer everything to a bowl to which you add the grated cheese, salt, pepper, oregano, capers, lightly toasted pine nuts in pan and raisins.

Soften the mixture with the lemon juice and oil and mix well.

Divide each slice of swordfish in two, obtaining two almost triangular slices and flatten them, placing them between two sheets of baking paper, with the help of a meat mallet.

Put a spoonful of mixture in the center of each slice and wrap the slice well starting from the widest part, so as to close the sides as well.

Once the rolls are ready, roll them evenly in the breadcrumbs previously flavored with oil and salt.

Then arrange the rolls in a baking dish adding a drizzle of oil.

Place the pan in a preheated oven at 180 ° and cook for about 20 minutes.

If the rolls brown too much, cover them with aluminum foil and continue cooking.

Finally, remove the pan from the oven, let the rolls rest for a few minutes and serve.
Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè

Service temperature 14°C

36 – MELANZANE RIPIENE ALLA SICILIANA

Sicilian-style stuffed aubergines are a typical dish of the Messina area, also known by the dialectal name of “mulincianeddi abbuttonati”.

Eggplants arrived in Sicily thanks to the Arabs who, in turn, imported them from India in the 15th century.

Sicilian stuffed aubergines are quite difficult to find in restaurant menus, since it is a homemade preparation, the result of the poor and waste-free cuisine typical of the South.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 15 minutes + 15 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 10 pieces

10 small purple eggplants

Breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

30 g of smoked cheese

2 cherry tomatoes

1 sprig of parsley

1 slice of cooked ham

1 clove of garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Wash the aubergines and remove the top. Then, cut the perimeter around the cut with the tip of a knife, so you will get a cap that will be used to seal the filling of the aubergines.

At this point, with the help of a teaspoon, remove all the internal pulp, cut it into very small pieces and fry it in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil, the peeled clove of garlic and a pinch of salt: the pulp must become soft.

For the filling, put the breadcrumbs in a bowl with the grated cheese, smoked cheese, chopped tomatoes, chopped parsley and garlic. Season with salt and mix well. When finished, add the fried eggplant pulp.

With the mixture obtained, fill (not too much) the previously emptied aubergines and close them by inserting the “cap”.

Pour the olive oil into a pan and heat it up. Then put the stuffed aubergines Sicilian style, on the side of the closure, and fry them in this position for about 4 minutes, so that they can seal well. After this time, they can be turned and cooked on all sides for another 10 minutes. They must become soft. Serve them hot or cold.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

37 – PESCE SPADA ALLA SICILIANA

Sicilian swordfish is a second course based on the four typical ingredients of the island: swordfish, cherry tomatoes, olives and capers.

Every year, from April to October, the swordfish passes through the Strait of Messina and local fishermen catch it aboard their boats called “spatare”. It is thanks to this millenary custom that the meat of swordfish (in dialect called “piscispata”) is present on Sicilian tables and represents one of the most popular second courses on the island.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 10 minutes + 20 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

4 swordfish steaks

1 white onion

250 g of cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons of pitted white olives

1 tablespoon of desalted capers

Origan

1/2 glass of white wine

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

To prepare the Sicilian swordfish, start by chopping the onion and then fry it in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of oil. When it becomes transparent, add the halved cherry tomatoes, olives, capers and cook for 5 minutes over high heat.

Then add the swordfish steaks (after washing and drying them with kitchen paper), oregano, salt and pepper.

Brown the fish for a few minutes and then deglaze with the white wine. Turn the swordfish steaks very gently and continue cooking for another 3 minutes.

Finally, transfer the Sicilian swordfish to a serving dish and serve hot with the sauce.
Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè

Service temperature 14°C

38 – PESCE STOCCO ALLA GHIOTTA

The history that links Messina with the Norwegian stockfish is very ancient.

Cod dried in the freezing winds of the Lofoten islands arrived on the tables of the Messina people around the 15th century. This fish was easy to transport and was a good substitute for fresh, more expensive and perishable fish. Northern boats arrived in the Mediterranean with large stocks of stockfish and the surplus was exchanged in the port of Messina for fresh food.

In this context, the preparation of the greedy was born that reaches up to the present day with the same Mediterranean aromas of that time.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 30 minutes + 45 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

1 kg of stockfish

10 potatoes

Tomato sauce

1 tablespoon of capers

White olives in brine

2 sticks of celery

1 white onion

1.5 l of tomato sauce

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

For this recipe, the stocco should be well soaked in water, barbed and cut into pieces of about 5 x 8 centimeters.

Wash the rapier well under running water, dry it with absorbent kitchen paper and set it aside.

Peel the potatoes, wash them, dry them and, if they are too big, cut them into large wedges and then put them in a pan with olive oil and a pinch of salt.

In the same pan, immediately after, add the swordfish and brown it.

In another pan, large enough to hold everything, heat plenty of oil and fry the chopped onion and celery, some desalted capers and pitted olives.

Then add about 1.5 liters of tomato sauce and season with salt.

Leave everything to cook over low heat for about half an hour and then add the potatoes.

When the potatoes are half cooked, add the stocco.

If necessary, add a few tablespoons of water.

Continue cooking over low heat, shaking the saucepan every now and then with decisive horizontal movements.

The stocco alla ghiotta fish will be ready when the sauce has shrunk and the fork will effortlessly enter both the potatoes and the fish.

Serve hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

39 – POLPETTE DI TONNO

The tuna meatballs (in dialect “purpetti”) is a typical Sicilian second course, certainly originally from Favignana and its history is linked to canned tuna.

In the factory that worked the tuna after it had been caught, the workers, in addition to the pay, also received as a gift the parts of the waste (scales, head and fins) and, since nothing is thrown away from the tuna, the housewives invented the tuna meatballs by adding the breadcrumbs to these scraps.

Today, however, the tuna meatballs are prepared using the prized parts of this excellent fish.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 40 minutes

Ingredients for 6 people

1 kg of tuna

50 g of grated pecorino

100 g of breadcrumbs

3 cloves of garlic

1 bunch of parsley

4 eggs

Cloves

Flour 00

Black pepper

Salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

After purchasing a nice piece of tuna, it must be chopped very finely and seasoned with beaten eggs, pecorino cheese and breadcrumbs.

Then chop the garlic and parsley and add them to the mixture, along with some cloves, salt and pepper.

Work the dough very well with your hands for a few minutes, form small balls and flour them.

Finally, fry them in boiling oil, dry them with kitchen paper to remove excess oil and serve.
Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè

Service temperature 14 °C

40 – SCIUSCIEDDU

‘U Sciuscieddu di Pasqua is an integral part of Sicilian gastronomy.

The term comes from the Latin “juscellum” which indicates a “liquid soup”. This dish was originally a soup made with various ingredients that were made to thicken with hot broth.

In Sicilian cuisine there are different versions, depending on the city but, in any case, it looks like a soup that takes the form of a soufflé whose main ingredients are meatballs and eggs.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 45 minutes

Ingredients for 6 people

400 g of minced beef

Breadcrumbs

1l of chicken broth

500 g of fresh ricotta

7 eggs

1 sprig of parsley

nutmeg

100 g of grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Prepare the chicken broth and set it aside.

From the remaining 6 eggs, separate the yolks from the whites and whip the latter until stiff peaks; beat the egg yolks and mix them with the sifted ricotta, add the remaining Parmesan, salt and pepper and a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg.

Put the meatballs in a pan with high sides and pour the boiling broth to cover them. At this point, in the ricotta mixed with the egg yolks, incorporate the whipped egg whites, stirring gently from the bottom up.

With the mixture obtained, cover the meatballs up to the sides of the pan.

Put the pan in a preheated oven at 180 ° for about twenty minutes.

After this time, bring the oven temperature to 200 °.

When cooked, ‘u sciuscieddu should have the appearance of a soufflé. Serve the meatballs with the clotted ricotta while still hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

41 – SEPPIE RIPIENE ALLA SICILIANA

From the small port of Donnalucata (in the province of Ragusa), every day, from the first light of dawn, small fishing boats head off the coast to find fish, including cuttlefish, and then sell it in the market near the pier.

A classic traditional recipe is typical of this small seaside village: stuffed cuttlefish.

In this seaside village, cuttlefish are so queens of the sea that, in the month of March, their festival is organized.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 40 minutes + 20 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 2 people

2 cuttlefish

Garlic powder

1 glass of white wine

Wholemeal breadcrumbs

Grated Parmesan cheese

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of mixed peppercorns

Parsley

Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

First, wash the cuttlefish under running water and dry them with absorbent kitchen paper. Then, with your hands, rotate and detach the tentacles and innards, taking care not to break the ink pouch that must be set aside (it will not be used for this dish).

At this point, it is necessary to separate the tentacles from the entrails and eliminate the eyes and beak. Then, with a small sharp knife, cut the internal membrane of the cuttlefish body in order to easily extract the bone. Finally, peel the cuttlefish.

For the filling, cut the tentacles into chunks.

In a hot pan, brown a sprinkling of chopped garlic into very small pieces, blend with a glass of white wine, pour in the tentacles, mix everything and cook with a lid on low heat for about 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the wholemeal breadcrumbs, grated cheese, salt, pepper and parsley, the cut tentacles, a drizzle of oil into a bowl and mix everything together.

Once the cuttlefish is cooked, remove them from the pan and, with the help of a teaspoon, fill them with this mixture: they must be well stuffed. Then, close them with a toothpick.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the stuffed cuttlefish.

Bake at 180 ° in a ventilated oven for 20 minutes, turning the cuttlefish after the first 10 minutes and serve.
Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè

Service temperature 14°C

42 – STIGGHIOLA

The stigghiola is a typical dish of Sicilian and Palermo cuisine and has as its main ingredients the intestines (especially lamb) and spring onion.

The tradition of stigghiola is very old because it derives from a Greek dish prepared during the Easter period.

Furthermore, Stigghiola was born as a humble dish: it was consumed above all by those who could not afford to buy meat or fish.

The term “Stigghiola” derives from “Extilia”, which in Latin means “gut”, hence the diminutive “Extiliola” which, later on, was used by the Palermitans to also refer to the beloved woman.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 30 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

1 kg of very fresh lamb casing

Parsley stalks

3 whole leeks

1 lemon

Salt

Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

To prepare the stigghiola you need to buy very fresh casings already cleaned from your trusted butcher.

The casings, then, must be washed carefully (being careful not to break them) and dried well with absorbent paper.

Season the casings in a container for an hour with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and ground pepper.

In the meantime, wash the parsley and leek stems, cut the leeks lengthwise in half to obtain 2 long strips.

Arrange a stalk of parsley and one of leek on a cutting board and wrap them with the guts carefully and compacting the spit well.

Cook the stigghiole thus obtained on the not too hot embers for 30 minutes, turning them every now and then to have a homogeneous cooking. Serve with salt and lemon.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

43 – TONNO CON CIPOLLE IN AGRODOLCE

Sweet and sour tuna (called in dialect “tunnina ca cipuddata”) is typical of Sicilian cuisine, especially Trapani.

Traditionally, in the traps, the tuna that was not processed in the factories, in particular that of the less valuable cuts and that could not be eaten fresh, was prepared with sweet and sour onion, which was also the preservation method used by the families of Trapani fishermen. who needed to keep food on board for days.

The tuna prepared in this way was then placed in an earthenware container and could also be eaten cold.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 10 minutes + 20 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

600 g of tuna

Flour 00

2 white onions

1/2 glass of water

1 tablespoon of sugar

4 tablespoons of vinegar

Oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

Put a sufficient quantity of flour with a pinch of salt on a plate, mix and flour the tuna slices.

After completing this operation, put the tuna in a pan with a drizzle of oil and brown it on both sides and then let it cook for ten minutes with a lid.

After this time, remove the tuna from the pan and set it aside.

Peel and slice the onions and then add them to the same pan where the tuna was, also adding a drizzle of oil, salt and 1/2 glass of water.

Stew the onions for about ten minutes and then add sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Mix and let it all flavor well.

Once this has been done, add the tuna fillets and cook everything, turning the fish gently a couple of times.

Finally, serve the tuna with the onion placed on top of each slice.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

44 – ZUCCHE IN AGRODOLCE

The sweet and sour pumpkin is linked to Vucciria, the popular market of Palermo. With the term Vuccèri butchers were called but, over time, the market expanded and, in addition to meat, in Vucciria you could find fresh fish, fruit and vegetables.

The Sicilians also call this dish “ficutu ri setti cannola”, the liver of the seven taps: at the Vucciria the Palermitans found everything they could need, but some delicacies were reserved for the rich, such as liver. For those who could not afford it, the market offered an alternative: pumpkin prepared exactly like the liver and it was mainly street vendors who consumed it. They sold their products in a part of the market surrounded by seven fountains with seven taps, from which the second part of the name of this traditional Sicilian dish derived.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 15 minutes + 5 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

1 yellow flesh pumpkin

Garlic

Mint

2 tablespoons of vinegar

1 teaspoon of sugar

Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Wash the pumpkin, remove the seeds and then cut it into 1 cm thick slices.

Fry the pumpkin slices in a pan with a drizzle of oil, turning them so that they brown on both sides. It will take about 5 minutes.

Once cooked, place the pumpkin slices on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.

At this point, lay them on a serving dish in layers and, on each layer, add some very thin slices of garlic and some mint leaves.

In another pan, heat the vinegar with the sugar, the freshly chopped black pepper and 150 g of cooking oil and mix. Then pour this mixture, still boiling, on the pumpkin. Leave everything to rest for at least 1 hour and then serve.
Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè

Service temperature 14°C

45 – ZUPPA DI PESCE (MATALOTTA)

The Sicilian fish soup or “matalotta” is an ancient recipe widespread especially in Syracuse, but known throughout the island.

Sicily was invaded in ancient times by many foreign populations who have left an indelible mark on culture and tradition.

This dish, in fact, originated during the period of French domination: the word “matalotta” derives from “matelot” and means “sailor”, who used to keep the fish broth to reuse it in another recipe. It is therefore a poor dish that can be made with different types of fish.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 10 minutes + 15 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 4 people

1 kg fillets of capone (or eel or red grouper)

12 green olives

8 cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons of salted capers

1 onion

1 clove of garlic

1 glass of white wine

Salt

pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

First, stone the green olives and soak the capers to desalt them.

Peel and slice a small onion and garlic clove and chop them with the crescent. Wash and cut the tomatoes in half.

In a pan, sauté the onion and garlic, then add the capers and cherry tomatoes. Leave to flavor for a few minutes, blending with half a glass of white wine. Then add the olives, a pinch of salt and continue cooking for another couple of minutes.

After this time, arrange the fish fillets on the bottom of the pan and cover them entirely with the sauce. Add the remaining white wine, a few tablespoons of water and a little black pepper.

Cover everything with the lid and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve the matalotta hot.
Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè

Service temperature 14°C

46 – ARANCINO AL RAGÙ

The origins of this Sicilian delicacy are uncertain because the influences of the main dominations on the island are mixed: Arab for rice and saffron, French for meat sauce, Spanish for tomato and Greek for cheese.

However, it seems that the breading dates back to the court of Frederick II of Swabia, when people were looking for a way to preserve rice and seasoning during hunting, but also for work in the countryside.

In any case, the arancino takes its name from the typical golden color that recalls the orange and, in the city of Catania, it is claimed that its conical shape refers to the image of smoking Etna in miniature. The meat sauce is the traditional variant, but there are many others.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 50 minutes

Ingredients for 10 arancini

For the rice:

500 g of carnaroli rice

70 g of butter

2 sachets of saffron

For the meat sauce:

150 g of minced pork

50 g of minced beef

1/2 onion

1/2 carrot

Celery

2 bay leaves

2 cloves

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

200 ml of full-bodied tomato sauce

100 g of peas

1/2 glass of white wine

Salt

80 g of caciocavallo cheese to be grated

50 g of caciocavallo cut into cubes

For the breading:

6 tablespoons of 00 flour

water

Breadcrumbs

Preparation

Start by boiling the rice in abundant salted water, drain when al dente and stir in a saucepan with butter and saffron until creamy.

Transfer everything to a large baking tray so that the rice can cool evenly.

To prepare the sauce, chop onion, celery and carrot very finely, fry them in a pan with oil, add the minced meat, let it brown for 1 minute and deglaze with the wine.

Leave to dry and then add tomato puree, bay leaf, cloves and cover with a lid, leaving it to cook over low heat for at least 50 minutes: the sauce must be thick.

After this time, add the peas and cook for another 15 minutes without stirring too much.

Remove the bay leaves and cloves.

Leave to cool for half an hour and then add the grated caciocavallo. Season with salt and allow to cool completely.

To make the arancini, take a handful of rice, hold the shell with one hand and, with the other, create a pit in which to put 2 teaspoons of meat sauce and a piece of caciocavallo. Cover this mixture with a spoonful of rice and shape the arancino with your hands, compacting everything very well.

Repeat the procedure until all the arancini are formed to be placed, gradually, on a serving dish.

After this phase, put the flour and a few tablespoons of water in a small bowl with high sides, in order to create a thick and sticky batter that is not too fluid.

Completely immerse the arancino in this mixture and transfer it to the breadcrumbs, perfecting its shape.

For frying, choose a saucepan with high sides in which to fry, in abundant peanut oil at 175 °, maximum 3 arancini at a time.

Cook the arancini for about 2 minutes and, when golden, place them on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.

Let them cool a bit and serve them crunchy and stringy!

Arancini can be stored in the fridge for 2 – 3 days or even frozen.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

47 – BOLOGNESE

According to the most widespread theories, it is thought that the name “Bolognese” given to this famous piece of Catania hot table derives from the main condiment that composes it: the ragù.

The Bolognese, in fact, is made up of a pizza with meat sauce as a base and a layer of puff pastry that covers it.

The inside, in addition to the original filling which is now infrequent, can be found in the variant with cooked ham, cheese and egg.

Secunnu i cchiù diffuse teorie, si pensa ca u nomu “bolognese” datu a chistu famosu pezzo ri tavola caura catanisi derivi do’ principale cùonzu chi u compone: u ragù.

A bolognese, infatti, jè composta da ‘na pizzetta o ragù comu base e da unu strato ri pasta sfoglia chi a cummogghia.

L’interno, oltre o ripieno originale, chi ormai jè picca frequente, si pò attruvari nta a variante o prosciutto cotto, fummaggiu e ùovu sodo.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 4 hours + 20 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 16 Bolognese

For the dough:

500 g of flour 0

500 g of semolina flour

100 g of lard

50 g of sugar

680 g of water

25 g of salt

Brewer’s yeast

For the filling:

500 g tomato pulp

400 g of cooked ham

500 g of Mozzarella

Extra virgin olive oil

1 egg

3 rolls of puff pastry

½ cup of milk

Preparation

First of all, prepare the dough.

Pour the flour into a bowl, create a fountain and insert the fresh brewer’s yeast, making it first dissolve in a little water. Then add the rest of the water, salt, lard, sugar and knead everything for ten minutes, until you get a well-blended dough.

Let the dough rest for ten minutes in the bowl and then put it on a pastry board and knead it for another ten minutes, until you get a compact, smooth and silky dough.

Form a sphere, place it in a floured bowl in the oven that is off but with the light on, until the volume is doubled: it will take about 2 hours.

After this time, break the dough into 120 g loaves and put them to rise again until they have doubled in volume: it will take at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing.

Cook the peeled tomatoes, mash them well and keep them on the heat until you get a narrow sauce to be seasoned with oil, salt and a teaspoon of sugar.

Once the dough has doubled, roll out the balls, gently squeeze them and form 15 cm discs.

Spread a generous spoonful of tomato, cooked ham and mozzarella in the center of each disc.

Beat the egg with a little milk, then unroll the puff pastry, divide it and form discs with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the already stuffed bases. Brush the edges of the puff pastry discs with milk and egg beaten together and then place them on the stuffed bases, so as to cover them.

Brush the outer surface with egg and milk, make a small cut in the center to release the steam and bake at 180 ° C, with a convection oven for about 20 minutes.

Finally, take the Bolognese out of the oven, let it cool for a few minutes and serve hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

48 – BOMBA FRITTA

The fried bomb is a must of the Sicilian diner, especially Catania.

There is also a baked version, but the fried bomb, eaten hot, is pure tradition, also thanks to the filling which has always been made up of cooked ham, mozzarella and black pepper. It is practically impossible to find a different filling.

A bomba fritta jè ‘n must ra tavola caura siciliana, soprattutto catanisi.

Esiste macari ‘na versione o furnu, ma a bomba fritta, manciata caura, jè tradizione pura, macari grazzi o ripieno chi, da sempri, jè composto da prosciutto cotto, mozzarella e pipi nìvuru. Jè praticamente impossibile attruvari ‘na farcitura diversa.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 3 hours + 20 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 12 bombs

For the dough:

300 g of flour 00

300 g of Manitoba flour

60 g of extra virgin olive oil

250 ml of warm milk

40 g of granulated sugar

1 whole egg

12 g of fresh brewer’s yeast

salt

1 liter of peanut oil for frying

For the stuffing:

350 g of cooked ham

300 g of mozzarella

Ground black pepper

Preparation

Start by inserting the warm milk, extra virgin olive oil, egg, dissolved yeast and sugar into the mixer.

Operate the whisk of the planetary mixer and mix all the ingredients well.

Then, little by little, add the two mixed flours and continue to knead until the mixture is homogeneous and well elastic.

Salt should be added only at the end to avoid blocking the leavening.

Once the dough is obtained, transfer it to a bowl greased with extra virgin olive oil, cover with cling film and let it rest until doubled in its initial volume. It will take about 2 hours.

After this time, take the dough, form balls of about 60 grams each, roll them out and stuff them with mozzarella, cooked ham and black pepper.

Close all the stuffed balls and put them back to rise again for another 30 minutes.

After this second leavening, heat the oil and fry the bombs, letting them brown evenly on all sides.

Drain them on absorbent kitchen paper to remove excess oil and, finally, serve them.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 14°C

49 – CARTOCCIATA

The cartocciata is one of the famous pieces of the Catania diner and the fillings can be varied, even if the basic one is with tomato and mozzarella. The latter also differs from the others in the shape which is closed, as if it were a small calzone, while the others are partially open and show the filling.

The cartocciata owes its name to the way it is closed after being stuffed: crumpling, in fact, means closing in on itself.

A cartocciata rientra intra i celebri pezzi ra tavola caura catanisi e i farciture ponnu èssiri varie, macari si chidda base jè cu pumadoru e mozzarella. Quest’ultima si differenzia dalle altre macari pi la forma chi jè chiusa, comu si fussi ‘n calzone nicu, mentri, i altre sunnu tanticchia aperte e mostrano u ripieno.

A cartocciata deve u so nomu propriu o manera in cui veni chiusa duoppu èssiri stata farcita: accartocciare, infatti, significa chiùiri nta si stissa.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 3 hours + 15 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 20 classic cartocciate

For the dough:

1 kg of flour 0

680 ml of water (or milk to make them softer)

100 g of lard

50 g of sugar

25 g of salt

Half a stick of fresh brewer’s yeast

For the stuffing:

800 g of tomato pulp

400 g of mozzarella

400 g of cooked ham

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

For the finishing:

1 egg

40 g of milk

Preparation

First, prepare the dough.

Pour the flour into a bowl, create a fountain and insert the fresh brewer’s yeast, making it first dissolve in a little water. Then add the rest of the water, salt, lard, sugar and knead everything for ten minutes, until you get a well-blended dough.

Let the dough rest for ten minutes in the bowl and then put it on a pastry board and knead it for another ten minutes, until you get a compact, smooth and silky dough.

Form a sphere, place it in a floured bowl in the oven that is off but with the light on, until the volume is doubled: it will take about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce for the filling, then pour the tomato pulp into a pan, season with salt, a pinch of sugar and cook over medium heat for about half an hour. When cooked, add a drizzle of oil.

After rising, resume the dough, divide it into 100g balls and put them in the oven for ten minutes with the light on.

After this time, roll out each ball to form a 15 cm diameter disc, add a little tomato sauce, half a slice of ham and a little mozzarella.

Close everything in a half moon, sealing the edges.

Repeat the procedure for all the cartocciate.

Turn on the oven with fan function and bring it to 180 °.

Brush the packets with milk mixed with beaten egg and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes.

After this time, remove the packets from the oven, let them cool for a few minutes and serve them still hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

50 – CAZZILLI

The Palermo cazzili are a sort of potato croquettes typical of Palermo street food and are often served in sandwiches, together with another must of the city, the panelle.

The Palermo cazzili have an ancient history and have always been the protagonists of the city markets, inside the fry shops or in the neighborhoods of street vendors and take their name from their traditional elongated shape.

The secret of cazzilli lies in the potatoes which must be very firm to compensate for the absence of egg in the dough.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 40 minutes + 10 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 25 cazzilli

1 kg of floury potatoes

1 sprig of parsley

Fine salt

black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Lemon juice (optional)

Preparation

Start by washing and boiling the potatoes (preferably whole and with the peel) in salted water, then drain and let them cool.

The potatoes will then be peeled and passed through a vegetable mill, taking care to obtain a fine purée without lumps. Finally, add the salt, pepper and chopped parsley.

Mix everything well until you get a homogeneous mixture.

At this point, you need to grease your hands with olive oil, take a small amount of the mixture (for a croquette the size of a middle finger) and form a cazzillo, to be placed on a tray. Continue like this until the dough is finished.

Fry the cazzilli in extra virgin olive oil at about 175 °, place them on absorbent kitchen paper to remove excess oil and serve immediately.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 14°C

51 – CIPOLLINA

The cipollina is one of the specialties of the Catania hot table. It is among the most famous pieces, thanks to its explosion of taste from the first bite.

It is a bundle of puff pastry stuffed with onion, tomato sauce, mozzarella and cooked ham; there are no other versions and it cannot be found in other parts of Italy.

Even if it might seem strange to those who come from outside, a true Catanese knows that cipollina can even be eaten for breakfast.

Difficulty – high

Preparation time – 4 hours + 25 minutes of cooking + 2 hours of leavening

Ingredients for 12 onions

For the dough:

250 g of Manitoba flour

250 g of flour 00

250 g of water

30 g of sugar

12 g of salt

50 g of lard

12 g of compressed yeast

150 g of butter

For the stuffing:

3 white onions

30 g of extra virgin olive oil

30 g of water

50 g of tomato puree

100 g of mozzarella

Preparation

Start with the dough, dissolving the yeast in a little water and sugar.

Place the sifted flours in the mixer and slowly add the water with the hook moving.

Knead the dough for a couple of minutes, add the flaked lard and salt and knead until a soft and smooth dough is obtained; over-working the dough would make it too fibrous.

At the end of the dough, form a sphere and cover it with the film.

Flatten the slightly softened butter (just remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before working it), spread it between two sheets of parchment paper, create a 15 x 15 square and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Take the dough and form a rectangle of about 18 cm by 50 cm and place the butter at about 12 cm from the edge and fold the dough into a wallet over the butter.

Bring the closure to our right and roll out the dough by folding it into a wallet 2 more times in a row: each time the closure must be on our right.

At this point, let the dough rest, wrapped in cling film with the closure underneath, in the refrigerator for thirty minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the stuffing, thinly slicing the onions that will be stewed in a pan with a little water and, only when they have softened, add the oil and continue cooking until they appear golden.

If necessary, add another drizzle of oil.

Then cut the mozzarella into small pieces, drain well and add it to the onions.

The tomato puree should only be seasoned with a little salt.

After 30 minutes, resume the dough, roll out the dough thin enough and form squares by placing a teaspoon of filling in the center, with a veil of sauce at the base.

Brush the sides with beaten egg yolk and fold the corners inwards, closing the tips that cross in the center with a toothpick so as not to open the onion.

Cover the onions in a pan with cling film, wait about thirty minutes, then brush them with beaten egg yolk and a drop of milk and bake at 200 ° C in ventilated mode for 25 minutes.

Once taken out of the oven, let the onions rest for a few minutes, remove the toothpicks and serve hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

52 – CRISPELLE SICILIANE

It is a street food made from leavened dough, fried in abundant boiling oil. In eastern Sicily, especially in Catania, this specialty is also called “sfinci”, from the Arabic “sfang”, which means “fermented and fried pasta”.

The name crispeddi would derive, however, from the fact that the leavened dough, in contact with boiling oil, ripples immediately, giving life to these fried delicacies, golden on the outside and soft on the inside.

It seems that these small savory pancakes were cooked and distributed by the monks to the population on the occasion of major holidays.

Difficulty – high

Preparation time – 5 hours + 2 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 10 crispelle

1 kg of re-milled durum wheat flour

25 g of brewer’s yeast

15 g of salt

8 dl of water

500 g of sheep ricotta

150 g of salted anchovies

Sunflower oil

Preparation

First, take a glass of water from the total and dissolve the yeast in it: the water must be lukewarm.

Pour the flour into a very large bowl, add the salt and mix well.

Then add the water with the yeast and, little by little, incorporate the remaining part of the water.

Knead everything for about 20 minutes until you get a soft and fluffy, almost liquid dough.

Let the dough rise by covering it with a warm cloth away from drafts for at least 3 hours. At the end of the leavening process, the dough must have doubled its volume.

After this time, work the dough again for a couple of minutes, making it deflate.

Put a saucepan full of oil on the heat and start preparing the crispelle: at this stage, it is important to have a container containing water to moisten your hands with to prevent the dough from sticking.

Take a small portion of pasta (about 30/40 gr) and spread it on the palm of the moistened hand, place a spoonful of ricotta or an anchovy fillet (delisced and desalinated) on top and close it well: the crispelle stuffed with ricotta must have a round shape, while those stuffed with anchovy are given an elongated shape.

As soon as the oil is hot, cook the crispelle: no more than three at a time so as not to lower the oil temperature too much.

Once immersed in the hot oil, the crispelle will swell and wrinkle. Fry them until golden brown, turning them on both sides.

Finally drain them with a slotted spoon and place them on absorbent paper to remove excess oil. Serve the crispelle hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

53 – FOCACCIA MESSINESE

The messinese focaccia has ancient origins that are lost in history.

According to the common opinion, its preparation dates back to the nineteenth century, but it is only from the second half of the twentieth century that its traditional recipe spreads in Messina among all the artisans of the trade, to become today one of the most important street foods presents in every bakery and bakery in the city.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 7 hours + 40 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 6 servings

For the dough:

150 g of re-milled semolina flour

350 g of flour 0

30 g of lard

70 g of refreshed sourdough (or 5 grams of fresh brewer’s yeast)

320 ml of natural mineral water

30 ml of white wine

10 g of granulated sugar

12 g of salt

For the dressing:

1 head of curly endive

Salted anchovies

600 g of tuma

Tomatoes

Salt

Black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

For the base of the Messina focaccia, put the two flours, the white wine and 300 milliliters of water at room temperature in the mixer.

Knead and, when you have obtained a coarse dough, let it rest for 30 minutes. At this point, add the mother yeast into small pieces and continue to knead, then add the salt dissolved in the remaining 20 milliliters of water, the sugar and the lard. Knead for about 15 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft and homogeneous. Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly greased with oil and cover with cling film.

At this point, put the dough in the refrigerator for 12 hours, then bring it back to room temperature and continue with normal leavening.

For the dressing, carefully wash the curly endive, dry it well, cut it into small pieces and season with extra virgin olive oil and fine salt.

Wash and clean the tomatoes, cut them into slices and dress them with extra virgin olive oil and fine salt.

Desalt the anchovies under running water and cut them into small pieces.

Cut the cheese into slices that are not too thin.

When the dough has doubled, spread it in a lightly oiled pan: it must be a soft dough that should be spread with the tips of your fingers greased with oil.

Cover the dough with cling film and let it rise for another hour at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 200 ° C static.

After the leavening time has elapsed, bake the base of the messinese focaccia for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and distribute the anchovies, cheese, plenty of curly endive and chopped cherry tomatoes over it. Finally, season with freshly ground black pepper, a little salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Bake again for 15 minutes and then put in a convection oven for another 10 minutes, until the vegetables and tomatoes are slightly wilted and the bottom of the messinese focaccia is golden brown.

Remove from the oven, cut the Messina focaccia into squares and serve immediately.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

54 – PANE CUNZATO

“Pane cunzato” means “seasoned bread”. An easy recipe, typical of Sicilian street food, of a sandwich filled with local ingredients, such as Sicilian first salt and Sicilian anchovy fillets.

In the past, however, this delicacy was called “the bread of disgrace” because it was prepared when there was no money to eat anything else.

The wives, in fact, stuffed this bread trying to impregnate it with the oil of a sardine or perfume it with oregano hung on the wall in the garden to dry. They heated it in ovens and served it to husbands returning from long days of work.

The recipe for pane cunzato has remained unchanged over time.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 20 minutes

Ingredients for 2 people

500 g of homemade loaf bread

6 ripe tomatoes

250 g of Sicilian primosale

150 g of anchovies in oil

Extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

Origan

Preparation

First, wash and clean the tomatoes and then cut them into thin slices.

Then also cut the primosale cheese into thin slices.

Meanwhile, heat the bread in the oven for a few minutes and then cut it in half lengthwise.

Sprinkle the loaf with oregano, salt and pepper and then add plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Place the tomatoes and the slices of cheese on top and, finally, distribute the anchovy fillets.

Close the bread and press lightly with the palms of your hands to absorb the juices of the sauce in order to flavor the bread.

Cut the loaf into slices of the desired size and serve the cunzato bread still hot.

It is advisable to prepare the cunzato bread well in advance before consuming it, to allow flavors and aromas to blend in the best possible way.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

55 – PANE E PANELLE

Panella is a pancake made from chickpea flour, a typical street food of Sicilian cuisine, especially from Palermo.

Already in Roman times, chickpeas were widely used in cooking, especially in the form of ‘polenta’, as it was consumed by the Greeks.

Perhaps the first panelle were cooked on stone and, only in the late medieval period, did they begin to fry, probably during the French dominion of the Angevin dynasty of Sicily.

The panelle are served above all in the middle of loaves of bread with a crust covered with sesame seeds (called giggiulena “) and seasoned to taste with salt, pepper and lemon.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 30 minutes + 45 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 10 people

500 g of chickpea flour

1.5 l of water

10 g of fine salt

10 g parsley to chop

10 sesame buns

Seed oil for frying

black pepper

Lemon (optional)

Preparation

In a large pot, put the water and, without lighting the fire, sift the chickpea flour. Stir vigorously with a whisk, to avoid the formation of lumps and light the heat over medium heat.

Add the salt and pepper, stirring constantly. It is important to keep the heat medium and never stop stirring, otherwise the mixture will tend to stick to the pot. When it begins to thicken and boil, cook for another 10-12 minutes.

Always turn in order not to create lumps (if they should form, eliminate them by passing the mixture with an immersion blender).

At the end of cooking, the mixture will be compact.

Add the parsley and mix it. Immediately after, pour the dough into a greased (like the one used to make the plumcake) loaf pan lined with baking paper, taking care to let the edges of the paper overflow to be able to easily extract the mixture.

Let the dough harden in the refrigerator until it is completely hardened. Once removed from the fridge, cut it into slices half a centimeter thick and fry them in plenty of seed oil until golden brown on both sides.

When cooked, drain the panelle on absorbent paper.

Finally, cut the sandwiches in half and fill each with 5 panelle. If you like, squeeze a few drops of lemon on the panelle and serve them still hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

56 – PANINO CON LA MEUSA

The sandwich with the spleen, in dialect called “panino ca ‘meusa” is a poor dish that was born about 1100 years ago, when butchers of Jewish origin arrived in Palermo. These, not being able to receive money for their work, due to their religious faith, withheld the entrails of the calf as a reward, but had to find a way to transform this reward into money.

One day they realized that Christians used to eat the entrails of animals with cheese or ricotta so, inspired by this custom, they created a sandwich with lung, spleen and “scannarozzato”, that is, cartilage from the trachea of the ox.

Difficoltà – bassa

Preparation time – 20 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

Sesame loaves

400 g of calf spleen

200 g of veal lung

100 g of caciocavallo

Lard

Salt

Pepper

Lemon

Preparation

Boil 2 liters of salted water in a large pot and then add the spleen and lung, boiling them for about 5 minutes.

At this point, drain, leave to cool and cut everything into thin strips.

Melt the lard in a pan, fry the entrails until crisp and finally dry on absorbent paper.

Season with salt and pepper.

Then grate the cheese with a grater with large holes.

Cut the sesame rolls in half, remove the crumb and stuff with the meat, completing the dressing with lemon juice and cheese. Serve hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

57 – PITONE MESSINESE

The pitoni (or pidoni) of Messina are the most famous street food in the city and its main characteristics are the softness of the dough, the golden breading and the filling rich in local ingredients.

According to a more accredited theory, however, the original name of this Sicilian specialty was “pidone”, from “pede” (foot), to indicate a stuffed focaccia.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 1 hour and 20 minutes

Ingredients for 25 Messina pythons

For the dough:

1 kg of flour 00

110 g of lard

270 ml of water

80 ml of dry white wine

10 g of salt

1 teaspoon of sugar

For the stuffing:

250 g of fresh tuma

10 Anchovies in oil

2 heads of curly endive

Salt

Black pepper

Olive oil

10 Cherry Tomatoes

Preparation

Start by pouring the flour, salt and sugar onto a work surface and gradually add the water and wine and start kneading until you get a coarse dough.

At this point, add the lard and knead for about 15 minutes, until the mixture becomes smooth and elastic.

Wrap the dough with cling film and let it rest at room temperature for about 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Wash the escarole, remove the damaged leaves and remove the others and then dry them.

Cut the escarole into very small pieces, pour it into a bowl and season it with olive oil, salt, black pepper and even some diced tomatoes.

At this point, take the dough and form folds, then place it on a floured work surface and flatten it lightly with a rolling pin, making a rectangle.

Then fold the dough inwards and then on itself.

Repeat these steps for at least 3-4 times.

Now, cut the dough into pieces and flatten them with a rolling pin to obtain thin round sheets.

Place a little of the stuffing based on seasoned escarole, anchovies and tuma in the center of the pasta.

Fold the dough, closing the filling, thus obtaining the typical crescent shape. Seal the two sheets well, pressing the dough with your finger.

Heat plenty of seed oil in a pan and fry the prepared Messina pythons, browning them on both sides, let them rest on absorbent paper to remove excess oil and serve immediately hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

58 – QUARUME

It is a traditional dish of Palermo street food whose recipe has always been handed down for generations. It is prepared with the entrails of the veal cooked in broth, using a specific pan, called “quarara”.

The term quarume derives from the Greek cholàdes, meaning “guts” and is characterized by very ancient origins. Historically, in fact, this dish was prepared for the weaning of children, as it seems that the entrails of the calf are very nutritious.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 3 hours

Ingredients for 4 people

2 kg of veal entrails

2 onions

2 carrots

800 g potatoes

2 large tomatoes

1 stick of celery

Parsley

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Lemon

Preparation

To prepare the quartz, you must first carefully clean the calf entrails with water and salt and boil them in a pot with salted water for about an hour.

After this period of time, remove the meat from the pan, let it cool and wash it again.

Put the veal entrails back into the pan in cold water adding the onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes and parsley and cook them until the different entrails are tender: it will take about another 2 hours.

Add the previously boiled potatoes cut into pieces and serve the quarume cut into pieces in its very hot broth seasoning it with salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and lemon.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

59 – SCACCIATA SICILIANA

The scacciata is a must of the Sicilian rotisserie and was born at the end of the 17th century as a staple of peasant tables.

In fact, in the rural tables of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, this simple dish was developed based on bread, vegetables and meat, often left over from a previous meal.

The scacciata reached its success when Moncada, prince of Paternò (in the province of Catania), in 1763, wanted it on his table during the Christmas celebrations. Since then, tradition places this specialty as a typical dish during dinner on December 24th, with a recipe handed down for generations and which has led to different types of filling, this is the traditional one.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – approximately 10 hours

Ingredients for 4 servings

For the dough:

500 g of semolina flour

200 g of mother yeast

250 ml of warm water

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 and a half teaspoons of salt

For the stuffing:

500 g of already cleaned broccoli

500 g of sausage

400 g of tuma

20 black olives dried in the oven

6 tablespoons of olive oil

4 fresh spring onions

1 head of garlic

Salt

Black pepper

Preparation

Cool the mother yeast 3 hours before starting the preparation and then put half the warm water in a bowl and dissolve the mother yeast.

Add part of the flour and start kneading, continuing to pour in the rest of the water and flour. Work the dough until it begins to become homogeneous. Finally, add the salt and oil.

Transfer the dough to a pastry board and continue kneading for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and homogeneous. Form a sphere, cover it with a bowl and let it rise until doubled in volume: it will take about 5-6 hours (with mother yeast it may take longer).

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Clean the broccoli, removing the leaves, the stem and leave only the tops that will be rinsed and boiled for 2 minutes in a pot with salted water.

In a pan, then, brown the unpeeled garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove the garlic and pour the broccoli into a bowl. In the same pan, put the sausage into small pieces without casing and fry it adding 1 tablespoon of oil, until it is browned.

Let it cool, then add it to the broccoli and add the onions cut into rings, the pitted black olives cut into pieces, a tablespoon of oil, a little salt and pepper. Mix everything well, cover with cling film and leave to flavor for a few hours.

When the dough is ready, divide it into 2 pieces, one larger than the other.

Take the largest piece and spread it 1 cm thick on a pastry board and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With the tines of a fork, prick the base of the dough.

Cut the tuma into slices of half a centimeter.

Cover the base of the scacciata with the cheese, add a pinch of salt and place the filling on top.

Roll out the smallest piece of the dough giving it the shape of a rectangle and cover the scacciata.

Seal the edge of the flat with your fingers, folding the base over the cover, creating an embroidery.

Prick the surface with a fork. Cover the scacciata with a cloth and let it rest for 1 hour.

After this time, brush the entire surface with oil and bake at 200 °.

After 10 minutes of cooking, lower the temperature to 180 ° and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the surface is golden brown. Allow to cool before tasting. Also excellent cold.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

60 – SFINCIONE

The sfincione (called “sfinciuni” in Sicilian dialect) is a typical product of Palermo gastronomy and a symbol of the city’s street food culture.

The name derives from the Latin spongia and from the Greek spòngos, meaning “sponge”: it is an ancient recipe that sees as a key ingredient the pizza bread (soft and leavened, similar to a sponge) with a tomato-based sauce on top, onion, anchovies, oregano and pieces of Ragusan caciocavallo cheese.

The sfincione can be found mainly in Palermo in delicatessens and bakeries.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 2 hours and 45 minutes

Ingredients for 6 people

For the dough:

700 g of flour 00

300 g of flour 0

25 g of salt

50 g of sugar

30 g of brewer’s yeast

60 g of seed oil

500 g of water

For the dressing:

1 liter of tomato pulp

100 g of caciocavallo cheese

10 salted anchovies

1 kg of onions

40 g of breadcrumbs

Origan

Preparation

Mix the two flours, add the crumbled yeast (dry), sugar, a tablespoon of oil, a little warm water and mix everything.

After a couple of minutes, add the salt and a little more water. Continue to knead, incorporating the oil and the other water a little at a time.

When the dough is sufficiently soft and elastic, make a sphere and put it to rise, for a couple of hours, in a container greased with oil covered with film in a closed place (the oven off will be fine).

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing: cut the onions into slices and immerse them in a pot with boiling water for a few minutes. This operation will sweeten the taste of the onion and make it more digestible. Drain it well and cook it, then, sauté over a moderate flame in a pan with olive oil, adding two chopped anchovies, half a glass of water and cook for at least 10 minutes. When cooked, add the tomato and half of the horse cheese cut into small pieces, season with salt and continue cooking over low heat for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After this time, turn off the heat and let it rest.

Grease a pan with a little oil and roll out the dough with your hands greased with oil.

Arrange the remaining chopped anchovies, diced horse cheese and all the sauce from the pan over the entire surface, until the entire surface is covered.

Sprinkle with oregano and breadcrumbs and leave to rise for a couple of hours.

After this time, preheat the oven to 240 °, bake for 25 minutes and serve the sfincione.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

61 – BISCOTTI DELLA MONACA

The cookies of the nun, in dialect, are called “viscotta da monaca”, precisely in memory of their origins. It was the cloistered nuns of the Convent of Santa Chiara in Catania who invented them, following a secret recipe they were very jealous of.

These biscuits were then sold and the sum obtained represented a form of income for the nuns.

The “S” shape of these sweets seems to be due to the fact that, in the early nineteenth century, the nuns prepared letter-shaped cookies to facilitate children in studying and learning.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 45 minutes

Ingredients for 8 people

500 g of flour 00

120 g of margarine

2 teaspoons of aniseed

100 g of brown sugar

5 g of ammonia for sweets

100 g of milk

Milk

1 pinch of salt

Preparation

Dissolve the ammonia in 100g of milk and set aside.

In a bowl, put the flour, sugar, anise seeds, a pinch of salt, the softened margarine and the milk with ammonia.

Begin to knead everything with your hands, adding more milk just enough to obtain a homogeneous and firm dough.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for half an hour to rest.

After this time, on a floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle shape and then cut 1 cm thick strips to give them the shape (S).

Place the freshly made biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 250 ° for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Bake a second time, lowering the temperature to 160 ° and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and consume the next day.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

62 – BRIOSCIA COL TUPPO

The brioscia, together with the granita, is synonymous with Sicilianity.

Legend has it that this goodness was born in a noble Sicilian family who wanted something soft on which to spread the jam for breakfast. Croissants, at the time, were not widespread and so the cook created this soft delight that conquered the aristocratic family, the visitors of the house and, soon, the whole region.

The main feature of this dessert is the chignon in ancient Norman it was called toupin and in Gallic toupeau. In old French, the word “top” meant the tuft. These terms merged into the modern “toupet” which, in Sicilian, has become tuppu.

Difficulty – high

Preparation time – 40 minutes + 20 minutes of cooking + rising times

Ingredients for 12 pieces

For the dough:

300 g of flour 00

200 g of Manitoba flour

15 g of fresh brewer’s yeast

3 large eggs

180 g of butter

80 g fresh whole milk

80 g of sugar

1 and a half tablespoons of acacia or wildflower honey

18 g of rum

1 a vanilla pod

Peel of 2 grated oranges

Grated rind of 1 lemon

10 g of salt

To brush:

1 yolk

20 g of fresh milk

Preparation

About 3 hours before preparing the brioche dough, put the grated peel of oranges, lemon peel, rum, vanilla and honey in a bowl, turn the mixture carefully and seal with plastic wrap.

Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.

After the marinating time of the aromas, place in the mixer in order: the flours, the yeast, the milk at room temperature and the sugar.

Operate the planetary mixer at low speed, letting the ingredients mix for a few seconds and then insert the eggs, one at a time: wait for the first egg to be completely absorbed before inserting the second, and so on.

When the eggs are completely absorbed, add the previously marinated flavoring mixture.

At this point, let the mixer work for 10 minutes at low speed. In this first phase of assembling the ingredients, the dough is uneven, crumbled, partly sticky and attached to the walls of the machine.

Incorporate small pieces of soft butter gradually into the dough, which meanwhile continues to work at a constant low speed, until the dough is finished. Finally, add the salt and let the planetary mixer work, always at a constant low speed.

After about 5 minutes, the dough will be stuck to the walls and very soft.

The dough still needs to be worked, so continue to knead everything for 15 minutes, this time at medium-high speed.

The dough will be ready when it is elastic, smooth, puffy, shiny, detached from the sides of the basket and strung on the hooks.

At this point, turn off the machine, take out the brioche dough and compose a sphere, bringing the excess dough down, and put the dough in a dry bowl covered with a film in contact with it, leaving no empty spaces.

Leave to rise in a dry and drafts-free place at a temperature of 26 ° – 28 ° for about 2 hours. An ideal place could be the oven turned off.

After about 2 hours, the brioche dough will have doubled its volume.

Knead the ball quickly for a few seconds on a work surface, without adding flour, then reassemble the ball, place it back in the bowl, covering it perfectly with the contact film and put it in the fridge for about 8-9 hours.

At the end of this time, the dough will have tripled in volume, swollen and well rested.

After rising in the fridge, let the brioche dough rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes: the dough must be soft, greasy, easy to shape and detachable from the work surface.

At this point, remove 2 pieces of pasta from the dough: the base of 75 grams and the “tuppo” of 15 grams.

First work the large ball on the work surface, smoothing the surface bringing the dough towards the belly with the palm of your hand, then repeat the same operation for the smaller group, until both surfaces are smooth.

Place the base in a pan, previously lined with baking paper, and make a hole in the center with your finger, making a deep crater, then take the tuppo, insert it between the index and thumb of your left hand, tighten the ball making it come out of your fingers , bringing down the excess edges of dough and pulling them down to form a cone.

Finally insert the tuppo into the crater, making the lower cone perfectly match the base crater.

Make all the Sicilian brioches in this way, placing them on the pan at a distance of at least 6 cm from each other and let them rest for about 2 hours in the oven with the light on. At the end of the time, the brioches will have increased in volume, then brush them with a mixture of beaten egg yolk and milk and cook them in a very hot static oven, in the central part, for about 25 minutes at 180 °.

Finally, take them out of the oven and let them cool off the pan.

Brioscia col tuppo can be enjoyed plain as a dessert, or accompanied by granita, or ice cream, or cappuccino. Perfect at all hours of the day.

It has become a trend in the most glamorous places, stuffing the brioche with mortadella, the result is incredibly good.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

63 – BUCCELLATO

Buccellato is a traditional Sicilian dessert consumed during the Christmas period.

It is a typical specialty of Palermo and has been included in the list of traditional Italian food products (P.A.T.) at the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.

The term “buccellato” comes from the Latin “panis buccella”, meaning the bread which, specially carved before baking in the oven, then allowed it to be easily broken by hand and brought to the “bucca”.

For this reason, it was also often consumed by sailors: it could be stored for a long time and was easily transportable and the shapes were put, like rings, in a stick.

Difficulty – high

Preparation time – 4 hours

Ingredients for 1 buccellato

For the dough:

600 g of flour 00

200 g of sugar

200 g of lard

2 eggs

100 ml of milk

1 tablespoon of honey

5 g of ammonia for sweets

1/2 sachet of vanillin

1 pinch of salt

For the stuffing:

500 g of dried figs

50 g of chocolate chips

50 g of chopped toasted almonds

50 g of chopped toasted hazelnuts

50 g of diced candied pumpkin

50 g of chopped roasted walnuts

50 g of chopped pistachios

50 g of raisins

Grated zest of one orange

Grated rind of a mandarin

1/2 glass of Marsala

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of cloves

To garnish:

Preserves orange

Candied fruit

Water

Preparation

Mix the sifted flour, sugar, salt, lard cut into small pieces, eggs, honey, ammonia and vanillin on a pastry board, adding, if the dough is too dry, a little milk until it reaches obtain a homogeneous and consistent paste. Shape the dough into a sphere, wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Blanch the dried figs and raisins for 5 minutes and then remove the stems from the dried figs, blend them and mix them with all the other filling ingredients.

Once the pastry has been removed from the fridge, roll it out until it reaches a thickness of about 5 mm and form a rectangle that is twice the length of the width.

Pour the filling along the entire central part of the pastry and close the latter forming a long roll.

Then fold the roll on itself, wetting the two ends to be welded well, so as to form a donut.

Score the entire surface of the buccellato, so that you can see the filling and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ° C until golden brown (about 30 minutes).

Once cooked, brush the buccellato with a spoonful of melted orange preserve with a little water and put it back in the oven for another five minutes.

After this time, garnish the buccellato with candied fruit and let it cool before serving.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14 °C

64 – CANNOLO SICILIANO

Cannolo is one of the best-known specialties of Sicilian pastry, so much so that it has been included in the list of traditional Italian food products (P.A.T) of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.

According to one hypothesis, the cannolo was invented by the cloistered nuns of a convent near Caltanissetta, starting from an ancient Roman recipe then elaborated by the Arabs.

According to a widespread tradition, moreover, it owes its name to a carnival joke that consisted in letting the ricotta cream come out of the cannolo instead of water, so “cannolo” is a dialect term that would indicate a “tap”.

The dessert, however, owes its worldwide diffusion to the pastry chefs of Palermo, who helped to stabilize the recipe, as we know it today.

Difficulty – high

Preparation time – 20 minutes + 30 minutes of cooking + resting times

Ingredients for 10 pieces

For the dough:

250 g of flour 00

60 ml of dry Marsala

1 teaspoon of vinegar

40 g of lard

1 pinch of salt

35 g of granulated sugar

40 g egg yolks (2 large egg yolks)

Grated zest of an organic lemon

Peanut oil for frying

Lard to grease the steel canes

Egg white to seal the rind of the cannoli

For the stuffing:

1 kg of sheep ricotta

359 g of powdered sugar

Cinnamon

To decorate:

Chopped pistachios

Preparation

Pour the flour, sugar, salt, egg yolks and lard onto the work surface. Knead with your fingertips until you get a dough made up of crumbs.

Add the Marsala, the wine vinegar and the grated lemon zest and continue to knead for a long time, until a smooth and compact dough is obtained.

Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for two hours.

After this time, the dough will have become elastic and smooth.

At this point, take a small part of the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of 2 millimeters: the dough must be rolled out very thinly, otherwise bubbles will not form during cooking. Grease the reeds with lard. Place the barrel on the pastry and, with a wheel, trace an oval of about 10-12 centimeters in diameter. Brush a little egg white on one end of the dough, then overlap the edges so that the one without egg white rests on the steel barrel. Slightly press the overlapping edges, so that the cannoli in cooking do not open. It would be better not to prepare all the cannoli first and then fry them, but to fry them gradually because if the pasta dries up, the bubbles will not develop.

Fry the cannoli in peanut oil at 170 degrees: the bubbles will form immediately.

When the cannoli are golden (it will take a few seconds), turn them over and remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon. Then put them on absorbent paper to remove excess oil. When the peels have cooled, remove the metal canes by doing a slight twist: this is a delicate phase, because if the peels are done well, they will be very fragile and very light, so excessive pressure could break them.

Grease the canes again with the lard before preparing new peels.

Fill the Sicilian cannoli with ricotta cream, using a sac à poche without a tip, just before serving them, sprinkle the zest with icing sugar and garnish with chopped pistachios.

There are many ways to present cannoli (garnishing them with candied fruit, chopped almonds, chocolate chips, etc.), but this is the traditional one.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

65 – CASSATA SICILIANA

Cassata is one of the most famous sweets in Sicily, but its origin is due to the Arabs who, during their domination, had imported various products to the island: from pistachio to citrus fruits, from almonds to sugar cane.

According to tradition, one night, a shepherd decided to mix sheep’s milk ricotta with sugar and honey and called this dessert “quas’at” (“basin”), from the name of the bowl in which the dough was contained.

Subsequently, at the Emir’s court in Palermo, the cooks decided to wrap the dough in a sheet of shortcrust pastry, which was then baked in the oven. Thus was born the cassata al forno, the oldest of the versions of this dessert.

The colorful variant of today is the result of an evolution that continued in the Norman era with the invention, at the Martorana convent in Palermo, of pasta reale (or pasta martorana), based on almond flour. In the eighteenth century, the sponge cake arrived from Genoa to replace the shortcrust pastry; chocolate flakes were added to the ricotta; and with the martorana pasta decorations were created to which were also added those created with candied fruit and sugar glaze: we thus arrived at the cassata we know today, codified in 1873 by the Palermo pastry chef Salvatore Gulì. However, cassata as an Easter cake was already a reality: already in 1575, the synod of the diocese of Mazara del Vallo had proclaimed cassata as the official dish of the festival, forbidding the various monastic orders to prepare it during the period preceding the religious festival so as not to run into temptation.

Difficulty – high

Preparation time – 2 hours and 30 minutes + rest times for the ricotta

Ingredients for 1 cassata

For the sponge cake:

6 eggs

200 g of sugar

200 g of flour 00

For the Pasta Reale:

200 g of almond flour

200 g of granulated sugar

50 g of water

Green food coloring

For the ricotta cream:

500 g of fresh sheep ricotta

300 g of sugar

50 g of diced pumpkin

50 g of chocolate chips

A vanilla bean

For the syrup:

150 ml of water

50 g of sugar

50 ml of Marsala

For the icing and decoration:

300 g of powdered sugar

80 ml of water

Candied fruit to taste

Preparation

For the Sicilian cassata, start to drain the ricotta well in a colander the night before.

The next day, proceed with the preparation of the sponge cake, beating the whole eggs with the sugar, until a white and foamy cream is obtained.

Then sift the flour and incorporate it gently, making sure to mix from the bottom up to avoid disassembling the dough.

Grease and flour a 24 cm diameter cake pan and gently pour the mixture.

Bake in a preheated oven (not ventilated) at 190 ° for 25/30 minutes.

At the end of this time, take the sponge cake out of the oven and let it cool before cutting it.

For the almond paste, put the water and sugar in a saucepan and mix over low heat, until the sugar begins to flow.

Then add the almond flour and food coloring, mix well, then pour the mixture onto a clean work surface moistened with water.

Allow to cool and then work with your hands until you get a soft and smooth dough.

With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 8 mm.

Pasta Reale must be cut into rectangles, as long as the edge of the mold. Set the rectangles aside and prepare the ricotta cream.

When the ricotta is completely dry, put it in a bowl, add the sugar and the vanilla bean seeds.

Mix well and leave to rest for about an hour in the fridge.

After this time, sift the ricotta.

Complete the cream by adding the pumpkin and chocolate.

It is time to assemble the Sicilian Cassata.

Take the sponge cake and divide it into 3 discs. One will go to the bottom of the pan, the round one with flared edges.

Prepare the syrup.

Dissolve the sugar in the water, add the Marsala and wet the sponge cake with this syrup.

Take the second disc and cut it into rectangles of the same size as those of Pasta Reale.

Put the rectangles on the edge of the pan: they will also cover the edges of the cassata and must be one of sponge cake and one of real pasta, alternating.

Pour the ricotta cream into the mold. Do not crush it too much and cover it with the remaining circle of sponge cake.

Let the cassata rest for at least an hour.

Turn over onto a serving dish and prepare the glaze.

Dissolve the icing sugar in the water, in a saucepan, over low heat: it must become stringy.

Pour the icing on the Sicilian cassata, paying attention to the edges.

Use a spatula so that no space is left out.

Allow to cool and then decorate with candied fruit, arranging it to taste.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

66 – CASSATELLE DI AGIRA

Cassatelle di Agira are typical sweets of the Enna gastronomy, originating in the town of Agira, but also widespread in eastern Sicily.

Being a typical Sicilian production, it has been included among the traditional Italian agri-food products (P.A.T) of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.

Cassatella di Agira is a dessert with very ancient origins, but its history is difficult to document because there are no written sources about it.

In the millenary history of Agira, the culture that has most influenced the birth of the cassatella is the Spanish one, to which agro-pastoral elements (such as chickpea flour) and noble elements (such as almonds and cocoa) have been added.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 24 hours + 15 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 60 cassatelle

For the pastry:

1.5 kg of flour 00

500 g of lard

500 g of sugar

2 eggs

200 ml of water

For the stuffing:

750 g of peeled almonds

Zest of 2 lemons

75 g of unsweetened cocoa powder

75 g of sweet cocoa powder

300 g of sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

130 g of chickpea flour

1 liter of water

To sprinkle:

Powdered sugar

Cinnamon powder

Preparation

The preparation of the cassatelle begins the day before.

Start by toasting the peeled almonds in the oven at 150 ° for 10 minutes and then put them in the mixer together with the lemon zest. Chop everything until you get a coarse powder.

Pour the mixture into a fairly large pot and add the bitter cocoa, sweet cocoa, sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon, water, stirring constantly.

Cook over low heat, until the mixture reaches a boil (continue stirring often). Leave to thicken for about ten minutes, remove from heat and add the sifted chickpea flour, stirring vigorously (if the mixture is too soft, add a little flour).

Transfer the cream obtained to a bowl, cover it with cling film and let it rest overnight at room temperature.

Also, the previous evening, prepare the pastry: in the bowl of the planetary mixer, pour the flour and lard and work them with the leaf whisk, at low speed, for 2 minutes. Then add the sugar, eggs, water and continue to work until you get a well-blended dough.

Turn this mixture over on a pastry board and compact it well with your hands, then put it in a bowl and cover it with cling film: it will have to rest all night, always at room temperature.

The following morning divide the dough into small portions and, with a rolling pin, roll out each piece, lightly flour it, forming a 5 mm thick sheet.

Place a tablespoon of the mixture of almonds and cocoa in the center of the obtained rods, about fifteen centimeters in diameter, and close in a crescent shape, pressing the edges well, to prevent the filling from escaping during cooking.

Cut out with a toothed wheel all around the cassatelle and place them, gradually, on the baking sheet covered with parchment paper (traditional cooking would involve the use of a wood oven).

Proceed in this way until all the ingredients are used up.

Turn on the oven at 180 ° and cook the cassatelle for about 15 minutes: they should not brown but remain rather pale.

After this time, take the cassatelle out of the oven, let them cool and sprinkle them with icing sugar, flavoring with a teaspoon of cinnamon before serving.

These delicious sweets keep for a long time, indeed, they are better enjoyed after a few days.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

67 – CRISPELLE DI RISO

The rice crispelle (or zeppole di San Giuseppe), are typical fried cakes from Catania, based on rice, which are generally prepared on the day of San Giuseppe (19 March), so much so that they are a typical dessert of the Father’s Day.

According to legend, the rice crispelle are prepared precisely on the occasion of the feast of St. Joseph because it seems that his second job, after that of a carpenter, was the fryer.

It seems that the Benedictine nuns of the Catania monastery in the sixteenth century were the first to make this dessert, as evidenced by ancient texts by Catania chroniclers, so much so that zeppole are sometimes also called “Benedictine”.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 3 hours and 30 minutes

Ingredients for 40 crispelle

300 g of rice

600 ml of milk

6 g of fresh brewer’s yeast

200 g of flour 00

1 pinch of salt

Orange peel

Peel of one lemon

150 g of honey

250 g of granulated sugar

30 g of ground cinnamon

1 l of seed oil

Preparation

In a saucepan, pour the milk, heat it and then add the rice. Leave to cook until the rice has absorbed all the milk, taking care to stir often with a wooden spoon, to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.

If the rice is not cooked yet, but all the milk has been absorbed, add hot water and continue cooking the rice until it flakes.

As soon as the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool, stirring constantly.

Then transfer it to a bowl with 60 grams of granulated sugar, the sifted flour, the yeast dissolved in warm water and mix everything with your hands.

Then add the grated lemon and orange peels and mix all the ingredients well. The dough, which must be very soft, must be covered with a sheet of film and left to rest in a warm place for three hours: its volume must double.

After this time, pour the seed oil into a saucepan, heat it and immerse the crispelle, giving them the shape of cylinders one finger thick and 5 cm long.

You need to make them thin because, as soon as they are fried in oil, they will increase in volume.

Brown the crispelle on both sides and, as soon as they are ready, transfer them to a plate covered with absorbent paper to remove excess oil.

At this point, put the crispelle on a plate, add the mixture of sugar and cinnamon and then sprinkle them with honey diluted with water.

Serve the crispelle still warm.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

68 – CROCCANTE DI MANDORLA E PISTACCHIO

The crunchy almond and pistachio are a typical Sicilian dessert, but the origin of the crunchy is very controversial; some want to link its birth to Spanish pastry chefs, due to the discovery of an Iberian text from the fifteenth century.

However, there are many who support an even more ancient tradition, arriving at a typical Arabic dessert, based on dried fruit and honey or even the desserts of the Etruscan and Roman culture.

It was thanks to the Saracens, however, that this specialty arrived in Sicily which gave rise to the splendid combination of two precious and fragrant treasures of the island: the almonds of Avola and the pistachios of Bronte. Today this dessert is widespread all over the world.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 30 minutes

Ingredients for 6 people

300 g of peeled Avola almonds

200 g of peeled Bronte pistachios

350 g of sugar

125 g of acacia honey

Lemon juice a few drops

Preparation

To make the almond and pistachio crunchy, start by coarsely chopping the 2 ingredients in a mixer and then place them on a baking tray and toast them in a preheated static oven at 190 °. It will take a few minutes, being careful that they do not burn.

Meanwhile, prepare the caramel: in an unglazed steel pan, pour the honey, sugar and a few drops of lemon juice (to avoid crystallization of the sugar). Mix the ingredients and melt them over medium heat.

Once it reaches 140 ° (to be measured with a kitchen thermometer), retrieve the pan with the toasted almonds and pistachios and quickly pour them still hot into the pan.

Mix everything and wait for the temperature to reach 170 °.

At this point, remove the mixture from the heat and pour it into a pan lined with parchment paper, distributing it with a wooden spoon, so as to have a uniform and thin layer.

Leave to cool to room temperature.

When the crunchy is cold, turn it over on a cutting board and cut it into bars before serving.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

69 – FRUTTA MARTORANA

Martorana fruit is a world-famous Sicilian dessert and provides for the perfect reproduction of fruit and vegetables.

Being a typical specialty, it has been included in the list of traditional Italian agri-food products (P.A.T.) of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.

Martorana fruit, traditionally, was prepared for the Feast of the Dead and owes its name to the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio or della Martorana, built in 1143.

According to a well-known tradition, the fruit of Martorana was born because the nuns of the aforementioned monastery, to replace the fruits collected from their garden, created new ones with almond flour and sugar, to embellish the building for the visit of the pope of the epoch.

Difficulty – high

Preparation time – 24 hours + time for finishing

Ingredients for 1 tray

500 g of almonds

500 g of sugar

125 ml of water

1 sachet of vanillin

Arabic gum

Food coloring

Preparation

Chop the peeled almonds until they are reduced to flour. Then dissolve the sugar in a pan with cold water and bring to a boil.

Turn off the heat and add, little by little, the almond flour and vanilla. Mix well until the mixture has taken on a compact, smooth and soft consistency: it will have to detach easily from the sides of the pan.

Wet a pastry board with water and pour the mixture over it.

Once it has cooled slightly, work it to make it even smoother and more homogeneous.

At this point, start modeling the dough with your hands to give the desired look, perhaps using silicone or plaster or terracotta molds (you can find them in pastry shops).

Leave the various shapes to air dry for 24 hours. After this time, you can start coloring the martorana fruit made the day before, using the food coloring in powder and a fine-tipped brush.

To polish it, however, you will need gum arabic which will give it a realistic look.

Once finished, serve.

Martorana fruit should not be kept in the fridge, but in a cool and dry place, away from heat sources and can be stored for up to 3 months.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16 °C

70 – IRIS

Iris is a famous sweet of Sicilian gastronomy, whose origin is from Palermo. Being a typical production, it has been officially included in the list of traditional Italian agri-food products (P.A.T.) of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.

The origin of the name is very particular: the knight of labor Antonio Lo Verso, pastry chef from Palermo, prepared this dessert on the occasion of the premiere of Pietro Mascagni’s opera “Iris” (1901). His creation became so famous that the pastry chef decided to change the name of his café to “Iris” which, since then, has become the reference point for the aristocracy and bourgeoisie of Palermo.

Difficulty – high

Preparation time – 4 hours and 30 minutes

Ingredients for 6 irises

For the dough:

500 g of Manitoba flour

250 ml of milk

50 g of lard

50 g of sugar

25 g of brewer’s yeast

1 egg

1 pinch of salt

Water

For the ricotta cream:

400 g of sheep ricotta

200 g of granulated sugar

100 g of chocolate chips

1/2 sachet of vanillin

For frying:

2 eggs

Breadcrumbs

1 pinch of salt

Seed oil

Preparation

Begin to drain the sheep’s milk ricotta in a colander and place it in the refrigerator until it has lost the whey, then sift it, mix it well in a bowl together with the sugar and vanillin and add the chocolate chips. Mix everything together.

At this point, proceed with the preparation of the iris mixture.

Mix the sifted flour, sugar, salt and lard (at room temperature) in a bowl, incorporate the brewer’s yeast dissolved in a little warm water and mix by pouring the milk a little at a time, until a soft and homogeneous mixture is obtained.

At this point, add a beaten egg and continue to work with energy, possibly pouring a drop of water. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rise for a couple of hours.

After this time, roll out the iris mixture and make 12 discs 1 cm thick and 6 cm in diameter.

Spread the ricotta cream on six of the discs, cover these with the remaining discs, seal the edges downwards and inwards and leave to rise for another 50 minutes at room temperature.

Once risen, pass the irises in the two beaten eggs together with a pinch of salt and in the breadcrumbs and fry them a couple at a time in plenty of hot oil, until golden brown.

Once fried, place the irises on absorbent paper to remove excess oil and allow them to cool a bit before consuming them.

Given the extraordinary diffusion of this typical Sicilian dessert, several variants were born, such as pistachio, cream, chocolate and even baked.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

71 – NUCATULI

The nucàtuli are typical Sicilian filled biscuits, included in the list of traditional Italian food products (P.A.T) of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.

The term nucàtuli derives from the Latin “nucatus” which means “seasoned with walnuts”, that is the main ingredients of the original preparation, but it could also derive from the Arabic “naqal”, which means “dried fruit”, also present in the recipe.

Traditionally, nucàtuli are prepared for Christmas but, in south-eastern Sicily, they are already found for the feast of the dead. For this reason, in these areas, they are also called “biscuits of the dead”.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 25 minutes + 15 minutes of cooking + rest in the refrigerator

Ingredients for 6 people

For the pastry:

200 g of flour 0

30 g of sugar

50 g of butter

water

For the stuffing:

80 g of dried figs

2 tablespoons of orange marmalade

Zest of one orange

80 g of walnuts

200 g of almonds

200 g of honey

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 cinnamon stick

3 cloves

100 ml of water

Preparation

Pour the flour, sugar and butter (at room temperature and cut into cubes) on a pastry board and start working by adding the water little by little.

A soft and non-sticky mixture should be obtained.

Once the dough is ready, wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for about 2 hours.

In a saucepan, pour the water, the cinnamon stick, the orange zest, the cloves, the dried figs and bring everything to a boil.

Then turn off, let the figs rest for a few minutes in the flavored water.

After the time has elapsed, remove the figs from the water and chop them, removing the stalks first.

Then chop the mix of walnuts and almonds not too finely and mix all the ingredients, adding the chopped figs, orange marmalade, cinnamon and honey, and work until the mixture is compact and homogeneous.

Once the dough is ready, let it rest in the fridge for about 2 hours.

After this time, take both doughs out of the fridge, roll out the pastry finely, making rectangles 4 cm by 15 cm, and arrange the filling in the center of the rectangle forming a cylinder.

Wrap the pastry around the dough leaving the upper part uncovered, making sure that the pastry is well adhered to the dough, to avoid opening it in the oven.

Fold the stuffed biscuit trying to form an S, then place on parchment paper and bake at 180 degrees for 15/20 minutes.

Take the nucàtoli out of the oven and serve them, perhaps sprinkling them with a little icing sugar at the moment.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

72 – PANZEROTTO SICILIANO

The origins of the panzerotto are common to those of a dessert born in Erice which was called “Genovese” and which, later, in the city of Etna, took the name of panzerotto.

The various fascinating stories concerning this delicacy are many and all united by a single certainty, which sees this sweet being born in the kitchens of the cloistered nuns. It was from these convents that the recipe began to spread rapidly in the territory.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 2 hours + 15 minutes of cooking

Ingredients for 30 panzerotti

For the white cream:

500 g of milk

100 g of flour 00

150 g of sugar

1 medium egg

Lemon peel

For the cocoa cream:

500 g of milk

70 g of flour 00

30 g of unsweetened cocoa powder

150 g of powdered sugar

1 sachet of vanillin

Lemon peel

For the pastry:

1 kg of flour 00

300 g of powdered sugar

350 g of lard

10 g of ammonia for sweets

2 egg yolks

1 sachet of vanillin

Grated lemon zest

180 g of milk

For the finishing:

1 egg

5 tablespoons of milk

Powdered sugar

Preparation

Start by preparing the two creams.

Mix the flour, sugar, egg and vanilla in a little milk.

When the mixture is homogeneous, add the remaining milk and the zest of half a lemon.

Allow everything to thicken over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Turn off, mix again with a whisk and put the cream to cool in a bowl.

While the cream cools, it will need to be stirred often with a whisk.

For the cocoa cream, follow the same procedure as for the white cream, but replace a part of the flour with the cocoa and let this cream cool too.

At this point, prepare the pastry.

Put the flour in a bowl, add the milk a little at a time, the icing sugar, the egg yolks and ammonia. Mix, add the lard and grated lemon zest.

Mix all the ingredients first in the bowl and then in the pastry board.

Work everything quickly until the dough is smooth and homogeneous: the pastry must not heat up, so if it is hot, let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Take two pasta cups, one of 10 cm in diameter and one of 8 cm. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3 mm, cut and cut out two discs. Place a generous spoonful of cream in the center of the large disc, place the disc in the center of the hand and close it as if to form a hollow.

Brush the small disc with water and place it on the cream found in the large disc. Seal the edges, press well, close the edges inwards and if they are too large, cut them out a bit.

Shape domes as round as possible and place them on a baking sheet.

Repeat until all the ingredients are used up.

Beat the egg and milk, brush all the domes with this mix and put a ball of dough on each dome containing the white cream (to distinguish the panzerotti).

Bake at 200 ° C ventilated for 15 minutes, checking the durability.

After this time, remove from the oven, allow to cool and serve with icing sugar.

Panzerotti are excellent to be enjoyed warm, but they are also delicious cold and can be kept for a couple of days under a glass dome.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

73 – PASTE DI MANDORLA

In Italy, pasta reale, or almond paste, is a confectionery preparation used in the preparation of various desserts in Sicilian cuisine and, in general, in the south of the country.

Almond paste has been officially recognized as a traditional Sicilian agri-food product and, for this reason, included in the list of traditional Italian agri-food products (P.A.T) of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.

The origins of this dessert are very distant: it seems to have been born at the end of 1100, in the Palermitan convent of Martorana, annexed to the church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio. The adjective “real” attributed to confectionery pastry can be traced back to the fact that it was “worthy of a king”.

In Italia, a pasta reale, o pasta ri mennula, jè ‘n preparato dolciario utilizzato nta a preparazione ri diversi dolci ra cucina siciliana e, in genere, du sud du Paìsi.

A pasta ri mennula jè stata ufficialmente riconosciuta comu prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale sicilianu e, pi chistu, inserita rintra a lista r’i prodotti agroalimentari tradizionali italiani (p.A.T) du Ministero di li politiche agricole alimentari e forestali.

L’ origini ri chistu duci sunnu assái lontane: pare fussi nato a la fini du 1100, nto cummìentu palermitano ra Martorana, annesso a la chiesa ri Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio. L’aggettivo “reale” attribuito a la pasta dolciaria, si pò ricondurre o fattu chi essa fussi “degna ri ‘n re”.

Difficulty – low

Preparation time – 35 minutes + 5 hours of rest in the refrigerator

Ingredients for 18 almond pastries

250 g of whole peeled almonds

250 g of sugar

70 g of egg whites (about 2 medium eggs)

½ teaspoon of almond flavoring

Lemon peel

Powdered sugar

Preparation

To prepare the almond paste, start by pouring the whole peeled almonds into a blender and adding the sugar. Chop until you get a powder.

At this point, add the egg whites, the grated lemon zest and the almond flavor. Work the mixture with the mixer until you get a soft but compact dough.

Then transfer everything to a bowl, wet your hands slightly and form balls of about 30 g each: 18 should come.

Cover the balls with icing sugar, pinch the top with three fingers and place them on a tray lined with parchment paper.

Then leave everything to rest in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.

After the rest time has elapsed, transfer the almond pastries to a baking tray and bake them in a ventilated oven on the medium shelf at 180 ° for about 12 minutes, until they are lightly golden. Serve them at room temperature.

Almond pastes can be stored at room temperature for about a week, inside a food bag.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

74 – RAME DI NAPOLI

The Rame di Napoli is a typical dessert of the city of Catania, consumed during the festivities of the dead and given to children, as a gift for having been good during the year.

The exact origin of the name is not known, however there are various hypotheses: the first speaks of an act of vassalage of Sicily towards Naples during the era of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Another theory, more likely, believes that, during the Bourbon kingdom, after the unification of the Kingdom of Naples with the Kingdom of Sicily, a coin containing a copper alloy would have been minted, in order to replace the richer alloy of gold and silver. The people, with the introduction of this coin, thought it best to create a dessert that would reproduce it.

I rame ri Napoli sunnu ‘n duci tipico do paìsi ri Catania, consumato durante i festività r’i morti e regalato ai picciriddi, comu dono pi èssiri stati buoni durante l’anno.

Nun si canosci cu esattezza l’origine du nomu, tuttavia ci sunnu varie ipotesi: a prima parla ri ‘n atto ri vassallaggio ra Sicilia nei confronti ri Napoli durante l’epoca du Regnu di li Dui Sicilie. Un’altra teoria, cchiù verosimile, ritiene ca, durante u regnu borbonico, successivamente all’unificazione du regnu ri Napoli cu u Regnu ri Sicilia, sarrissi stata coniata ‘na moneta contenente ‘na lega ri rame, pi sostituire a cchiù ricca lega ri ùoru e argìentu. U pòpulu, cu l’introduzione ri tale moneta, pensò beni ri criari ‘n duci chi a riproducesse.

Difficulty – medium

Preparation time – 1 hour

Ingredients for 18 almond pastries

For the dough:

225 g of flour 00

200 g of whole milk

50 g of vegetable margarine

100 g of sugar

50 g of unsweetened cocoa powder

8 g of baking powder for cakes

1 g of ground cinnamon

1 g of ground cloves

20 g of wildflower honey

Zest of half an orange

For the glaze:

100 g of dark chocolate

60 g of vegetable margarine

30 g of orange marmalade

20 g of chopped pistachios

Preparation

To make the Rame di Napoli, first melt the margarine in a bain-marie and keep it aside.

Pour the sugar, cloves, ground cinnamon and baking powder into a large bowl.

Then add the bitter cocoa and flavor the dough by grating the orange zest, taking care to avoid the white part that would be bitter.

Finally, stir in the honey and melted margarine.

Mix the mixture with a spatula to mix it.

Sift the flour separately and, one spoon at a time, add it to the dough, together with the milk, alternating it with the flour.

Mix everything to obtain a homogeneous mixture.

At this point, line a pan with parchment paper, take a spoonful of dough and form a ball, sliding it onto the pan with the help of another spoon. Space the biscuits one from the other because they will grow during cooking.

Once all the dough is finished, bake the sweets in a preheated static oven at 180 ° for 15 minutes.

When cooked, take the Rame di Napoli out of the oven and let it cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Chop the dark chocolate with a knife and put it in a saucepan for cooking in a bain-marie. Add the margarine and heat over medium heat, until the mixture has dissolved completely.

Brush the surface of the Rame di Napoli with the orange marmalade, then dip them in the chocolate and place them on a wire rack.

Finally, cover with the chopped pistachios, let the glaze dry for about 2 hours and serve.

The Rame di Napoli can be stored for up to 3 days.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

75 – TORTA SAVOIA

The Savoia cake is a refined and very greedy dessert typical of the Sicilian tradition.

For Sicilians this dessert represents a piece of history. As the name itself makes it easy to guess, the theory that this cake was dedicated to the royals of the House of Savoy appears plausible. It is less easy, however, to attribute paternity.

According to some, in fact, it seems that it was the Benedictine nuns of Catania, more than 150 years ago, on the occasion of the annexation of Sicily to the Kingdom of Italy, who conceived, in honor of the new sovereigns, this cake among which ingredients were hazelnuts, Piedmontese like the Savoy.

According to others, however, the Savoy cake was created by a pastry chef from Palermo, on the occasion of a visit by the Savoy family to the Sicilian capital.

Difficulty – high

Preparation time – 2 hours + rest in the refrigerator

Ingredients for 1 cake of 24 cm in diameter

For the 5 discs of sponge cake:

6 fresh eggs

90 g of flour 00

60 g of corn starch

150 g of white granulated sugar

For the hazelnut cream:

50 g of toasted Piedmont hazelnut flour

25 g of bitter cocoa

25 g of dark chocolate

25 g of white chocolate

50 g of milk

50 g butter

4 tablespoons of powdered sugar

For the filling:

300 g of milk chocolate

200 g of dark chocolate

30 g of sifted powdered sugar

For the syrup:

15 g of powdered sugar

60 g of water

40 g of white rum

For the glaze:

300 g of dark chocolate

50 g of butter

Preparation

To prepare the sponge cake, separate the egg whites from the yolks; whip the first until stiff peaks and the second with the sugar.

Store the egg whites in the refrigerator.

Add the sifted flour and starch to the egg yolks and mix gently, until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

Incorporate the egg whites a little at a time and mix, mixing from bottom to top. Pour a couple of ladles of dough into a greased and floured hinged pan, which must be a few millimeters thick.

Place in a preheated oven at 180 ° C and cook for about 6 minutes, until the sponge cake is golden brown.

Perform the same procedure for the other 4 discs. Let each disc cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the cream for the filling by melting the two types of chocolate in a double boiler.

Meanwhile, blend the hazelnuts with the icing sugar.

At this point, combine the chocolate with the hazelnut flour and add the milk, cocoa and butter into small pieces. Mix everything until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.

To prepare the syrup, heat the sugar and water in a saucepan. As soon as the mixture becomes a syrup, add the rum and mix.

Now compose the cake: moisten the first disc with the syrup, spread a little cream and place another disc on top. Proceed with a layer of sponge cake and a layer of cream, soaking every disc except the last one with rum.

With the help of a plate, cut out the edges to make them uniform.

Once assembled, put the cake to rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the glaze, melt the chocolate in a double boiler together with the butter, until you get a smooth and shiny cream. Spread it over the whole cake with a spatula, decorate as desired (usually written on the cake with “Savoy” chocolate) and put it back in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Finally, serve the Savoy cake

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

Appetizer 🥗

First Dishes 🍝

Main Dishes 🍖🐟

Street Food 🌯

Dessert 🍰

1 – BROCCOLI AFFOGATI

Difficulty – lowPreparation time – 20 minutes + 30 minutes of cookingIngredients for 4 people400 g of broccoli100 g of white onions200 g of tuma cheese50 g of black olives1 clove of garlic2 tablespoons of olive oilSalt50 ml of red wine

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: RedService temperature 16°C

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: RedService temperature 16°C

2 – CAPONATA

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: RosèService temperature 14°C

3 – CARCIOFI GRIGLIATI

Difficulty – mediumPreparation time – 15 minutes + 20 minutes of cookingIngredients for 4 people8 artichokes1 bunch of parsley4 cloves of garlicPepperFresh garlic leaves (or chives)Extra virgin olive oilSalt

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: RedService temperature 16°C

4 – COTOLETTE DI MELANZANE

Difficulty – lowPreparation time – 20 minutes + 25 minutes of cooking Ingredients for 4 people2 eggplantsCoarse salt3 eggs200 g of breadcrumbs80 g of grated caciocavalloFlour 00Sunflower oilSaltPepper

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: RosèService temperature 14°C

5 – FRITTELLE DI NEONATO

Difficulty – lowPreparation time – 20 minutes + 25 minutes of cookingIngredients for 4 people500 gr of newborn1 egg2 tablespoons of 00 flour1 sprig of parsley1 tablespoon of grated pecorinoSunflower oil for fryingSaltLemon slices for decoration (optional)

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: RosèService temperature 14°C

6 – INSALATA ALLA NORMA

Difficulty – lowPreparation time – 15 minutesIngredients for 4 people4 tomatoes1 red onion BasilSalted ricotta to grateExtra virgin olive oilSaltGround black pepper

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: RedService temperature 16°C

7 – INSALATA DI ARANCE E ARINGA

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: RosèService temperature 14°C

8 – INSALATA DI BABBALUCI

Difficulty – lowPreparation time – 4 days of rest + 30 minIngredients for 4 people1 kg of snailsBreadcrumbs3 cloves of garlic1 bunch of fresh parsleyBlack pepperJuice of 1/2 lemonExtra virgin olive oil

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: RedService temperature 16°C

9 – INSALATA DI CIPOLLE INFORNATE

Difficulty – lowPreparation time – 10 minutes + 60 minutes of cookingIngredients for 4 people800 g of onions from Giarratana5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil2 tablespoons of white wine vinegarSaltPepperOrigan

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: RedService temperature 16°C

10 – INSALATA DI POLPO

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè Service temperature 14°C

11 – INSALATA VASTASA

Difficulty – lowPreparation time – 10 minutes + 20 minutes of cookingIngredients for 4 people500 g of potatoes200 g of green beans300 g of Pachino tomatoes1 Tropea onion5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil2 teaspoons of vinegarOrigan50 g of green olives50 g of black olivesSaltPepper

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red Service temperature 16°C

12 – MASCULINI CUNZATI

Difficulty – lowPreparation time – 20 minutes + standing time in the freezer Ingredients for 4 people500 g of fresh anchovies2 cloves of garlic200 ml of lemon juice1 sprig of parsleyExtra virgin olive oilChili pepperSalt

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: RosèService temperature 14°C

13 – OLIVE INFORNATE ALLA SICILIANA

Difficulty – lowPreparation time – 10 minutes + 15 minutes of cookingIngredients for 500 grams500 gr of large black olivesFine saltCoarse saltExtra virgin olive oilWaterOrigan

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: RedService temperature 16°C

14 – SARDE A BECCAFICO

Difficulty – lowPreparation time – 45 minutesIngredients for 2 people300 g of sardines10 g of pine nuts50 g of breadcrumbs15 g of raisinsParsleyExtra virgin olive oil1/2 orangeLaurel

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè Service temperature 12°C

15 – ZUZZU

Difficulty – lowPreparation time – 60 minutesIngredients for 4 people800 g of pork offal (ears, snout, rind, tongue)1 lemonWhite wine vinegar3 bay leavesSaltPepper

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red Service temperature 16°C

16 – ANELLETTI AL FORNO

Preparation

To prepare the sauce, finely chop the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, clove of garlic and sauté everything in plenty of oil.

Add the chopped and brown it over high heat for a few minutes, blending with the wine.

Then add the tomato paste, the sauce and the peas, seasoning with salt and pepper and adding a pinch of nutmeg and a teaspoon of sugar. Finally, add the basil and bay leaves.

Cook everything over medium heat for about an hour and a half, stirring often until the mixture is full-bodied.

While the sauce is cooking, cut the aubergines, one into chunks and the other into slices. You have to leave them in a colander for over an hour with some coarse salt, to remove the water. Then rinse them with running water and dry them with a cloth.

In a pan, pour plenty of olive oil and fry the aubergines. When they are cooked, place them on absorbent paper.

Boil the anelletti in boiling salted water, drain them al dente and put them back in the pan.

Pour a tablespoon of caciocavallo into the pasta, add part of the meat sauce and the fried aubergine into pieces.

Put in the oven at 200 ° for about 30 minutes.

Before portioning the baked anelletti, let them rest for a few minutes and serve them still hot.

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red

Service temperature 16°C

17 – COUS COUS ALLA TRAPANESE

Cous cous initially arrived in eastern Sicily with the Arab domination and, in a short time, it became a traditional dish, especially in the city of Trapani.

Unlike the Moroccan couscous (which includes a meat and vegetable sauce), the one from Trapani is prepared with soup fish.

Despite the richness and elaboration of this dish, the Sicilian version of cous cous is considered a popular and poor dish since, in the past, fishing was one of the main activities in the area.

Difficulty – high

Preparation time – 4 hours

Ingredients for 6 people

For the couscous:

1 kg of coarse semolina for couscous

200 cl of water

250 ml of extra virgin olive oil

100 g of white onion

10 g of whole sea salt

5 cloves

7 black peppercorns

1 cinnamon bark

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 bay leaves

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 20 minutes + 30 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 4 people
400 g of broccoli
100 g of white onions
200 g of tuma cheese
50 g of black olives
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt
50 ml of red wine

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

Difficulty – medium
Preparation time – 15 minutes + 20 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 4 people
8 artichokes
1 bunch of parsley
4 cloves of garlic
Pepper
Fresh garlic leaves (or chives)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 20 minutes + 25 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 4 people
2 eggplants
Coarse salt
3 eggs
200 g of breadcrumbs
80 g of grated caciocavallo
Flour 00
Sunflower oil
Salt
Pepper

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 20 minutes + 25 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 4 people
500 gr of newborn
1 egg
2 tablespoons of 00 flour
1 sprig of parsley
1 tablespoon of grated pecorino
Sunflower oil for frying
Salt
Lemon slices for decoration (optional)

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 15 minutes
Ingredients for 4 people
4 tomatoes
1 red onion
Basil
Salted ricotta to grate
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Ground black pepper

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 4 days of rest + 30 min
Ingredients for 4 people
1 kg of snails
Breadcrumbs
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of fresh parsley
Black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 10 minutes + 60 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 4 people
800 g of onions from Giarratana
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Origan

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 20 minutes + standing time in the freezer
Ingredients for 4 people
500 g of fresh anchovies
2 cloves of garlic
200 ml of lemon juice
1 sprig of parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Chili pepper
Salt

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 14°C

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 10 minutes + 15 minutes of cooking
Ingredients for 500 grams
500 gr of large black olives
Fine salt
Coarse salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Water
Origan

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 45 minutes
Ingredients for 2 people
300 g of sardines
10 g of pine nuts
50 g of breadcrumbs
15 g of raisins
Parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 orange
Laurel

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Rosè
Service temperature 12°C

Difficulty – low
Preparation time – 60 minutes
Ingredients for 4 people
800 g of pork offal (ears, snout, rind, tongue)
1 lemon
White wine vinegar
3 bay leaves
Salt
Pepper

Nerello Mascalese Wine in pairing: Red
Service temperature 16°C