Reid & Robie

There is a history to Italian food that goes back thousands of years.

– Lidia Bastianich

When Robie and I decided to spend spring in Sicily, we were excited to experience the fresh food and multicultural cuisine of the island. Sicilian food is humble, packed with flavor and made using fresh, seasonal ingredients to create an epiphany in every bite.

During our three months in Italy, Robie and I discovered new dishes at restaurants, tried unique treats at cafés and sampled the fare of street vendors. It wasn’t long before many of the wonderful flavors became favorites, the ones we went back for time and again. In this first in a two-part series, Reid & Robie detail Sicily’s best foods and where to find them in Syracuse and Palermo.

“Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”

In Syracuse, our food discovery tour began where every dining experience should – with dessert.

Made famous by a single, adlibbed line in The Godfather, cannoli are the classic Sicilian pastry. Made from fried, tube-shaped dough and luscious, creamy filling, a cannolo provides the perfect textural contrast. At Dentro Ortigia Gelateria and Mangano Sapuri Siciliano, two pasticcerias on a narrow, pedestrian corner, Robie and I were faced with several difficult decisions.

First up, the vessel. Cannoli shells came plain, dipped in dark chocolate or rimmed with crushed pistachios. Then there was the filling. This could be fluffy ricotta, sweet vanilla cream or whipped chocolate or pistachio cream. After selecting our shells and fillings, we still had to determine the toppings. We had the choice of chocolate chips, crushed hazelnuts or pistachios, a slice of candied orange or lemon peel. And since there are two sides to every cannolo, we could have them dipped in the same topping or make each end different to create even more delicious flavor combinations. Then before devouring them, our cannoli got dusted with powdered sugar.

After ordering a sampling of different combinations to try, the only thing Robie and I learned was that there’s no such thing as a bad cannolo.

Arancini

When Arabs conquered Sicily, they introduced new crops and flavors from North Africa and the Middle East. As farmers across the island started cultivating pistachios, almonds, lemons, oranges, artichokes, rice and eggplant, Sicilian cooks began experimenting with spices like cinnamon, saffron and nutmeg, flavors that quickly made their way into the local cuisine.

One of the foods most credited to the Arab invasion is arancini. Shaped like a pear and orange in color, these fried rice balls were traditionally flavored with saffron and filled with meat, peas and spices. Today, they come in an assortment of flavors including ham and cheese at Arancina, pistachio and ricotta at Viola Bakery or traditional meat ragu from Pane di Mare. Whatever the flavor, arancini are a beloved street food that’s easy to enjoy on the go.

Pistachio pesto

During our stay on the island, we became obsessed with pistachios. After all, these edible little nuts are a nutrient-dense powerhouse. Packed with protein, fiber, healthy fats, potassium and antioxidants, pistachios pair perfectly with sweet as well as savory flavors. In Sicily, the little gems are used in everything from arancini to cannoli. There’s also pistachio gelato, pistachio biscotti, pistachio granita, pistachio and mortadella pizza, and pistachio pesto.

On our first night in Syracuse, I opted for ricotta ravioli bathed in pesto di pistacchi at Scuola Alimentare Ristorante. The subtle flavors of fresh cheese and pistachio pesto were augmented by a punch from whole, sautéed cherry tomatoes that burst delightfully in my mouth.

Like the more traditional basil version, pistachio pesto is made with parmesan, basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Except instead of pine nuts, it uses pistachios to create a paste. Poured over pasta, this slightly sweeter version is a game changer, so when Robie discovered jarred pistachio pesto at the local market, I decided to make my own twist on the pasta dish.

Using tagliatelle instead of ravioli, I cooked the pasta and added it to a pan of warm pesto mixed with fresh ricotta cheese. After dipping two bowlfuls, I topped each with chopped pistachios, crispy pancetta, a handful of burst tomatoes and more ricotta (because why not?). The dish was so simple and delicious that pistachio pasta was put on regular rotation.

Sicilian pasta

Traditional Sicilian pasta combines the simplest ingredients into an umami bomb that’s both filling and delicious. At Piazza Archimede Caffe, long strips of spaghetti came with a sauce made from humble anchovies, capers, olives and tomatoes before the entire dish received a sprinkling of breadcrumbs. For an extra twist, Robie and I added canned tuna to the mix to make a delicious, protein-packed meal at home using pantry staples.

Fried artichokes

With artichoke season running from mid-February to May, our visit to Sicily was the perfect time to find tender, violet-hued varieties flooding the local markets.

At the Antico Mercato di Ortigia in Syracuse, Robie and I were tempted by piles of delicious-looking artichokes but knew the street vendor’s offer of 10 thistles for €3 was more than we could eat. After a little bartering, we got five artichokes, a basket of vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, a potato and large eggplant for €2. Then, weighted down with our bounty, Robie and I headed home to figure out what to do with so much produce. After boiling the larger thistles, we fried the smaller ones in olive oil and ate them as an appetizer. Simple and delicious!

Pea risotto

Despite risotto’s origins in Northern Italy, there’s no shortage of this creamy dish in Sicily often served with seafood like the mussel risotto at Osteria Mariano. Determined to master at least one version while we were in Italy, I selected a recipe from Nigella Lawson.

A British TV chef with a serious love for all things Italian, Nigella’s recipes are approachable, designed for home cooks and balance rich, indulgent flavors with practical, stress-free methods, things that made her style of cooking just what I needed in a rental apartment limited by space and pans.

Nigella’s pea risotto didn’t disappoint. Made with frozen peas, generous handfuls of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and the juice of a whole lemon, it was the brightest, lightest risotto I ever tasted, and one I made often during our three months in Sicily.

Insalata Siracusana (Syracuse Salad)

Arriving in Syracuse at the start of February, Robie and I were quickly introduced to a winter salad that made the most of Sicily’s prized, seasonal citrus. At Scuola Alimentare Ristorante the combination of juicy, ripe oranges, crisp, delicate fennel, tangy red onions and fat, salty capers was light, guileless and in just the right proportions.

The simple salad quickly became our go-to side, one we’re sharing so you can try it at home.

Syracuse Winter Salad 

Serves: 2

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Cook time: 0

Difficulty rating (on a scale of 5): 0.5

Ingredients

2 oranges

½ a medium fennel bulb, fronds attached

¼ of a small red onion, thinly sliced

2+ Tbsp. good quality capers

Olive oil & salt

Directions

1. Over a medium bowl, peel the oranges, discarding the rinds but saving as much of the juice as possible. There’s no need to supreme the segments, simply pull them apart and slice in half to release some of their juice. You’re looking for about a tablespoon of fresh orange juice in the bottom of the bowl to be part of the dressing. If after cutting the orange segments you find you don’t have enough juice, simply squeeze a few segments in the bowl and discard the remains.

2. Slice the fennel perpendicular to the root. A mandolin can come in handy here but isn’t necessary. If the slices are thick, simply cut them into bite-sized chunks. Add the fennel to the bowl of orange segments and season with salt.

3. Add the thinly sliced red onion and capers. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This salad can be made several hours in advance since leaving it to rest will help the flavors meld.

4. When ready to serve, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and some of the dainty, green fronds of the fennel.

Serve and enjoy!

More Syracuse food finds

During our six weeks in Syracuse, Robie and I sampled a lot of other sumptuous cuisine like the fresh oysters at Ostricando in the mercato, amazing cacio e pepe and pasta alla Norma at Trattoria Spizzuliamu and exceptional pizzas from da Carmela. For fish, we discovered the seafood platter at Mokrito and had a delicious yet inexpensive lunch at Osteria Mariano. But our favorite hangout was simply sitting outside Gran Caffe del Duomo for a view of the cathedral and to watch tourists filling the square. Best of all, our drinks came with a plate of small, complimentary snacks at this friendly, well-placed café.