Arancini are Sicilian rice balls filled with ragù (meat sauce), peas, and mozzarella cheese, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried until golden brown. They're a popular street food and appetizer in Sicily. 1)
Caponata is a sweet and sour eggplant stew made with diced eggplant, tomatoes, onions, celery, olives, capers, and vinegar, simmered together until tender and flavorful. It's often served as an antipasto or side dish. 2)
Panelle are Sicilian chickpea fritters made with chickpea flour, water, and parsley, fried until crispy and golden brown. They're commonly eaten as a snack or sandwich filling, served in a roll with fresh lemon juice. 3)
Pasta alla Norma is a classic Sicilian pasta dish made with rigatoni or spaghetti tossed in a sauce of tomatoes, fried eggplant, garlic, basil, and ricotta salata (salted ricotta cheese). It's a hearty and flavorful dish. 4)
Sarde a beccafico are stuffed sardines filled with a mixture of breadcrumbs, pine nuts, raisins, parsley, and garlic, then rolled up and baked until golden brown. They're a delicious and elegant seafood dish. 5)
Cassata is a traditional Sicilian dessert made with sponge cake soaked in liqueur, layered with sweetened ricotta cheese, candied fruit, and chocolate chips, then covered in marzipan and icing sugar. It's a festive and indulgent treat. 6)
Granita is a refreshing Sicilian dessert similar to sorbet, made with flavored sugar syrup (such as lemon, almond, or coffee) frozen and shaved into icy flakes. It's often served with a brioche bun for breakfast or as a snack. 7)
Cannoli are iconic Sicilian pastries made with fried pastry shells filled with sweetened ricotta cheese and often flavored with candied fruit, chocolate chips, or pistachios. They're a beloved dessert enjoyed around the world. 8)
Pasta con le sarde is a Sicilian pasta dish made with bucatini or spaghetti tossed in a sauce of sardines, fennel, pine nuts, raisins, saffron, and breadcrumbs, flavored with anchovies and garlic. It's a unique and flavorful seafood pasta. 9)
Spaghetti alla siciliana is a simple and delicious pasta dish made with spaghetti tossed in a sauce of cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, capers, olives, and fresh basil, finished with a sprinkle of pecorino cheese. 10)
Cannelloni are large pasta tubes filled with a mixture of ricotta cheese, spinach, nutmeg, and Parmesan cheese, topped with tomato sauce and baked until bubbly and golden brown. They're a comforting and satisfying dish. 11)
Pasta con le melanzane is a Sicilian pasta dish made with penne or rigatoni tossed in a sauce of fried eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, basil, and ricotta salata (salted ricotta cheese). It's a simple yet flavorful vegetarian pasta. 12)
Involtini di pesce spada are swordfish rolls filled with breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, and capers, then grilled or baked until tender. They're often served with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. 13)
Minne di Sant'Agata, or “Saint Agatha's breasts,” are Sicilian pastries shaped like breasts and filled with ricotta cheese, chocolate chips, and candied fruit, then covered in marzipan and icing sugar. They're traditionally eaten during the Feast of Saint Agatha in Catania. 14)
Pesce alla ghiotta is a Sicilian fish stew made with fresh fish (such as swordfish or tuna), tomatoes, onions, celery, olives, capers, and potatoes, simmered together until the flavors meld and the fish is tender. It's a hearty and flavorful seafood dish. 15)