Ever wondered what it would be like to travel to Palermo or Messina? You could also travel to other parts of Sicily. You should make a list of the dishes that you want to try. Like other Italian regions, Sicilian cuisine is delicious and different. This island is a paradise for pasta lovers. You can choose to wine and dine at a restaurant, or try street food.
Sicilian cuisine is heavily influenced by French, Spanish, French and Arab cooking. There are so many flavors to choose from! You will be amazed at the number of pastas this country offers. This culture is known for its rich tomato sauce, garlic, olive oils, and the finest cheeses and wines to accompany your dish.
10 Best Dishes: Sicilian Food
If you love Italian cuisine, you’ll love these 10 best Sicilian dishes, including street food in Palermo Sicily. They are rich in flavor and color. You will find both seafood and meat-free dishes below. Amazingly, many of these dishes offer more choices for pasta fillings. There are many options.
For those who enjoy trying new desserts while still retaining some Sicilian traditions, we even included a few sweet treats. These traditional Sicilian food suggestions will amaze you!
1. Pesce spada alla Siciliana
Sicilian swordfish – Photo by
Agrodolce
Pesce Spada alla Siciliana, a Sicilian specialty, is one of the most popular dishes. It consists of a fillet of swordfish, topped with a sauce made from olives, tomatoes, capers. Except for the swordfish, all the ingredients are sauteed together: garlic, celery and vinegar, pine nuts and olive oil.
If you are looking for something truly authentic, this is the dish to choose. You can find it at most local restaurants in Sicily. You will love swordfish and you will also enjoy all types of Pesce Spada: al Forno or al salmoriglio. It will be obvious that there are many ways to prepare this seafood in different regions.
2. Pasta ‘ncasciata
Pasta ‘Ncasciata. Photo by
We are the Italians
This pasta dish is from Sicily, Messina. It can be made with penne or with rigatoni. You can make pasta n’casciata by combining pasta, eggplant, and caciovallo. “Ncasciata” may be translated to “cheese”, or “pan” in Sicilian. (There are some differences among Sicilians. However, both translations make sense as the pasta is baked in a pan and cooked with cheese).
Mix the cooked and strained pasta with rich tomato sauce and cubes of fried eggplant. The cheese is mozzarella or caciocavallo. It’s served with some bechamel sauce, which is a mixture of milk, butter, and flour. After the Sicilian food has been placed in a springform pan, it is topped with generous amounts of breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown. We recommend this dish to be paired with red wine such as Frappato, Nero d’Avola or Frappato for wine-lovers.
3. Caponata di Carciofi
Caponata di carciofi – Photo from
Taste Atlas
Caponata di Carciofi, a Sicilian traditional food, is made up of a vegetable dish. The key ingredient in this dish is artichoke. It is popular in spring because of this reason. Other ingredients include tomatoes, onion, celery and capers as well as olive oil, red vinegar, tomato sauce, and lemon. Although raisins and pine nuts are not a traditional caponata, some people include them on the list.
Caponata must have a sweet and sour flavor. Red wine vinegar is the key to controlling the flavor balance. Caponata di Carciofi can be served at room temperature as an appetizer, or as a side dish. Some Sicilians recommend that you let it rest overnight in the refrigerator before serving it. A colorful and delicious vegetarian dish that tastes just like spring.
4. Cuccidati
Cuccidati – Photo by
Chicago Tribune
Cuccidati, a Sicilian cookie created during the Muslim Rule in Sicily, is a quick and easy way to take a break from the many savory and cheesy pasta dishes. This delicious, rich dessert is filled with honey, walnuts and dates. It is the filling that makes this Sicilian delight so complex and difficult. It is difficult to combine the strong flavors of almonds and walnuts with the sweetness of dates and figs.
Cuccidati is a sweet treat that brings back childhood memories. It is a traditional Sicilian sweet that is prepared in Sicilian food culture on the weekend before Christmas. It can be made in the form of a wreath or ribbon, or a candy cane. Cuccidati can be compared to English mince pie which is a Christmas staple. We recommend Cuccidati, no matter how festive it is, while you are exploring Sicily.
5. Involtini di pesce spada
Sicilian Swordfish Rolls. Photo by
Sunset
Pesce Spada is another dish that can be prepared, though in various sizes and shapes. This traditional Sicilian dish is made up of baked swordfish rolls. You read that right! We promise it’s just as delicious as sushi! Involtini di Pesce Spada is a type of swordfish fillets that are stuffed with a variety of flavored breadcrumbs, such as fresh herbs, garlic, fresh herbs or pine nuts, and sometimes even raisins or cheese. There are many flavors to suit every taste, which is another reason Sicily has the best food: there are so many options.
You can prepare these swordfish rolls by either grilling or pan-frying. Once the fish is fried to perfection it can be served with a squeeze lemon juice and an olive oil-based salmoriglio. This sauce is often accompanied with seafood, particularly swordfish. It is made with olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.
6. Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia
Spaghetti al nero di Seppia – Photo from
The spruce loves to eat
This Sicilian traditional food is often associated with Sicily and the northern Veneto regions. Cuttlefish sauce is what makes this pasta stand out. It’s made from cuttlefish slices that are fried in olive oil and garlic. Cuttlefish is a rich, salty, and briny fish that you should try. These ingredients can also be referred to as white wine and cuttlefish ink. Sometimes, tomatoes are also included.
While spaghetti is the most common way to prepare this dish, you can also use other types of pasta such as bigoli or linguine. It is worth a try, even though the cuttlefish ink and sound doesn’t sound very appealing. Spaghetti al nero di seppie is both an elegant, yet rustic dish. It is great for a romantic dinner with two or as a party meal.
7. Arancini
Arancini – Image from
BBC
The Arancini, which are large, golden rice balls with a flavorful combination of ingredients in their center, originate from Southern Italy. The festival known as the ‘Festival of Saint Lucia” takes place in Palermo on December 13. The city is filled with hundreds of stands selling arancini and frying booths. Many make sweet versions of this rice ball, with chocolate and sugar. This street food from Sicilia is named after the Italian word “arancia”, which refers to similarities in color and visual appearance.
Arancini are often filled with meat sauce, peas, dried prociutto, and cheeses like mozzarella and pecorino. The golden rice ball is a staple in Sicilian cuisine. Don’t miss it! There are two types of traditional arancino. The first is perfect round and filled with a ragu sauce made of meat, mozzarella, peas, and peas. The second, called al burro (“with butter”), has a pear-shaped shape and is filled with diced mozzarella and prosciutto.
8. Brioche con gelato
Brioche con Gelato Photo by
Taste Atlas
Brioche with gelato is a Sicilian street food that originated in Sicily. This sweet treat is made up of soft, buttery brioches stuffed with gelato. For an added flavor, they may add chopped nuts or powdered sugar to the final product.
This brioche isn’t just for gelato. You can choose from Bourbon vanilla, cream w/lemon zest, caramelized ginger cream and many other variations of the chocolate theme such as dark, chili and sour cherry; cherry, cinnamon and Matcha tea. Fun fact: Did you know that Palermo Sicily’s street food is very popular during summer?
9. Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare
Spaghetti with sea-urchins – Photo by
Buonisimo
Spaghetti ai Ricci di mare is one of Sicily’s best foods due to its simplicity. It is also popular in Sardinia, Puglia. This Sicilian dish is made up of sea urchins and spaghetti, right from the bottom. Because of its rich textures and delicious flavors, this will be your favorite Sicilian recipe. This pasta dish also includes olive oil, garlic salt, parsley, lemon wedges, and parsley as garnish.
Don’t worry if you have never tried sea urchins. You can easily remove the small shell with your hands. The orange-colored fruit is easy to access from the inside. This is why sea urchin season runs from January to March.
10. Cannelloni
Canneloni – Photo by
Virgin Media Television
Cannelloni was created in Sicily in particular in the Palermo, Messina and Messina regions. This pasta’s name comes from the Latin for “reeds”. This became the Italian term cannello, or “tube” in Italian. Cannelloni is a street food from Italy Sicily. It was originally made for Carnivale celebrations to symbolize fertility. It quickly became a popular dish among bakers and became a common staple in Italy as well as Sicily.
This ‘tube’ can be filled with your favorite ingredients and then baked in the oven. One example of a vegetarian dish would be spinach and mozzarella, but you can also make it with beef (cannelloni de carne), chicken, spinach and ricotta (just to mention a few of the most popular dishes). You can find the pasta you prefer in health shops and for gluten-intolerant people.
10 Best Dishes: Sicilian Food Edition
These are the top ten best Sicilian food. You can find Sicilian food both traditional and modern, as well as daring and elegant. There are many options for Sicilian food to suit everyone’s tastes, whether you want to eat traditional pasta or explore the delicious world of cuttlefishes and gelato. You might even discover a new favorite wine and cheese pairing!
Although Sicily may not be a huge island it is rich in spices, herbs, colors, tastes and other variations that appeal to both tourists and locals. You can enjoy the best food of Sicily, no matter where you are located: Palermo or Catania. These dishes and all the cheese options are available to you. Don’t forget to have a glass of wine while you do it!
You can explore more of Italy by reading our articles on Puglia cuisine, Neapolitan recipes and Italian pastries.
