Sicilian Recipes
(recipes added from time to time)

• Antipasti - Grape 'u Pitittu
  • Antipasto Platter
  • Arancine
  • Caponata di melanzane
• Soups
  • Vegetable and Bean Soup
• Vegetable Dishes
  • Asparagi con uova - Asparags omelette
• Rice and Beans
  • Rice with Seafood - Riso alla Marinara
  • Lentil And Green Olive Salad
• Pasta Dishes
  • Capuliatu in crudo - Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato
  • Fettuccine with Artichoke Pesto
  • Fusilli con insalata di mare
  • Penne alla marinara
• Fish and Seafood
  • Sarde a beccafico - Stuffed Sardines
• Poultry and Meat
  • Chicken with almonds - Galletto con le Mandorle
  • Gaddina Catanisi - Catania-Style Chicken
  • Spezzatinu di Viteddu - Veal Stew with Onions
• Cakes, Cookies, Desserts
  • Biscotti
  • Pallini di mazzapani - Marzipan Balls
  • Anise Liqueur - Zammù
  • Latti di Mennuli - Almond milk beverage

Vegetable and Bean Soup

Serves 8

1/2 cup dry fava beans
1/2 cup dry haricots or other white beans
Salt
2 medium onions, cut into eighths and separated
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 bulb fennel, coarsely chopped
1 bunch dill chopped (about 2 pounds)
3 cabbage leaves
1 bunch beet or Swiss chard leaves or 1 pound spinach leaves
3 Belgian endive leaves
Pepper
1 cup Arborio rice, washed
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

1. Soak the dry beans for 1 hour in cold water; drain. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the beans, onions, carrot, celery, and bay leaf.

2. After the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat so that the soup slowly simmers. Check the beans after 45 minutes, and if they are still hard, continue cooking until they are almost soft.

3. Add the bulb fennel and dill, cabbage, beet leaves, and endive leaves. Taste for salt and pepper. Simmer for 25 minutes, uncovered.

4. Add the rice, Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Serve with a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil drizzled on each serving. You can also sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top.

Recipe by Wright

Antipasto Checklist

Serves 6-8

1 ice berg lettuce
1 jar of artichoke hearts
1 heart of celery, washed and quartered
1 bulb fennel, washed and quartered
1/2 lb black olives
1/2 lb green Sicilian olives
1 tomato, sliced(opt)
1/4 lb salami and other
2 hard boiled eggs, quartered (opt)
1 can of albacore tuna chunks
1/4 lb prosciutto, roll each slice
1 can anchovies
1/4 lb mild provolone
1/4 lb aged provolone
pimiento
ceci

Put a bed of lettuce on a large platter. Arrange 4 or 5 groupings of Black and green Sicilian olives. Distribute artichoke hearts, celery and fennel stalks, rolled prosciutto, salami, tomato slices, ceci, anchovies, provolone, and pimento. Drizzle on a light vinegar and oil dressing. The dressing in the jar of artichoke hearts does nicely. Serve with small plates, sliced baguette or Italian bread and breadsticks.

Recipe by Alice

Caponata di melanzane

Ingredients for 4 persons

600 g. eggplant
300 g. potato
4 red or green peppers
6 cloves of garlic
1/2 head of celery without the leaves
1 Tb of capers
4 carrots
1 large onion
olive oil
grated and toasted breadcrumbs
red and black pepper

Preparation

Peel and dice the eggplant and fry.

Peel and dice the potatoes and lightly fry until golden.

Cut the peppers crosswise in rings and place in frying pan. Add the chopped celery, carrots, garlic, onion, and the capers and when cooked, mix in the eggplant and the potatoes.

Stir for some minutes with a wooden ladle.

Add the red and black pepper and continue stirring; then turn off the heat.

At this point sprinkle on the toasted breadcrumbs.

Recipe by Bruno. --English translation by A. Dieli

Penne alla marinara

Preparation

Slice the octopus crosswise into small circlets and cook them for half an hour in salted water. After having carefully brushed the mussels, let them open in a pan of water on high heat. Remove the shells, discarding those that have not opened. Filter the water and set it aside.

Drain the octopus and then cook the penne in the same water al dente.

Prepare a salmoriglio sauce using the finely chopped parsley, two cloves of garlic, the olive oil, three or four table spoons of the water the mussels were cooked in, the juice of a lemon, and a generous splash of black pepper.

Pour the penne into a big bowl, add the octopus and the mussels, season with the salmoriglio sauce. Mix and wait a bit before serving to allow the pasta to absorb the flavors.

Recipe by Bruno. --English translation by A. Dieli

Fusili con insalata di mare - Seafood fusili

Preparation

Cut the squid into strips; brush the mussels clean, shuck the clams and put them both in a baking tin and let them open on a fast flame; select only those that have opened and contain a mollusk; filter the remaining liquid.

Mince the parsley and the garlic; parboil the tomatoes, peel them, remove the seeds, and cut them into small pieces.

In a casserole, use a fork to break up the tuna, get rid of the oil, and add the olive oil and parsley.

Let it brown for a few minutes, add the tomatoes and a little salt; let it cook for 20 minutes on a quick flame adding some of the filtered liquid from the mollusks from time to time. At this point add the calamari, squid, shrimp, and anchovy and monitor the simmering for another 5 minutes.

In the meantime cook the fusilli al dente, drain and add to the casserole, then add the mussels and clams. Thoroughly mix, checking the salt; flavor with oregano and serve.

Recipe by Bruno. --English translation by A. Dieli

Fettuccine with Artichoke Pesto - Fettuccine con Pesto di Carciofi

6 large or 8 small artichoke hearts, sectioned and steamed
  or 2 lb baby artichokes steamed
  or 9 oz frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and steamed five minutes
  or 14 oz canned artichoke hearts packed in water or oil, (no vinegar) drained
2 oz salted roasted cashews
2 sprigs Italian parsley
1 clove garlic
2 Tb grated Parmesan cheese
squirt of lemon juice
dash of cayenne pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 lb prosciutto, thickly sliced then diced 1/4 inch
grated Parmesan cheese, for the table
1 lb fettuccine

In a blender or food processor, place the prepared artichokes, cashews, parsley, garlic, cheese, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Turn on and add the olive oil slowly, a bit at a time, until the blender blades spin freely, creating a hollow in the center. Add more oil if necessary. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and keep warm on the stove.

Meanwhile, cook the fettucine until nearly al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water on the side. Return the pasta to the pot and sprinkle in the diced prosciuto.

Spoon in the pesto, adding a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water as necessary to assure that the sauce coats the pasta evenly. Stir over low heat. Make sure it doesn't stick to the pot; use all the reserved water if necessary. When the ingredients are well mixed and the fettuccine coated with pesto, the dish is ready.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe by Penza

Rice with Seafood - Riso alla Marinara

Pinch of saffron
20 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
20 littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 small (1 lb) live lobster
  or 1/4 lb lobster meat
4 Tb finely chopped parsley
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 lb squid, cleaned and cut into small pieces or rings
2 cups Arborio rice, washed
Salt
Pepper

1. Put the saffron in a small cup with 3 tablespoons of tepid water to steep. Steam the mussels and clams until they open. Discard any mussels or clams that do not open. Remove the clams and mussels from their shells. Reserve 3/4 cup of the clam and mussel juice for this recipe and save the rest for another use. Set aside. Steam the live lobster for 12 to 15 minutes. Drain. When it is cool, remove the meat, chop, and set aside.

2. In a large pan, sauté the parsley and garlic in 1/3 cup olive oil for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the squid and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 12 minutes.

3. In a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid, sauté the washed rice in the remaining olive oil for 1 minute. Add the reserved clam and mussel juice and 1 1/3 cups of water. Check the clam and mussel juice to see how salty it is, then add salt to taste. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes, but check before that time. Add a few tablespoons of boiling water if the rice is too hard.

4. Add the lobster meat, clams, and mussels to the pan with the squid. Stir and add pepper to taste. Pour the saffron water over the seafood. Stir again and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

5. Pour the rice into a mixing bowl and mix with half the seafood. Spread the mixture on a serving platter and cover with the remaining seafood. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

Recipe by Wright

Capuliatu in crudo - Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato

Ingredients to serve 4

600 g. dense tomatoes, not too mature
4 cloves of garlic
3 Tb olive oil
50 g. grated piccante pecorino
finely chopped basil
red or black pepper
salt as needed

Preparation

Put the tomatoes in boiling water; remove them after a few minutes, peel and cut them into small pieces by hand. Get rid of the water and the seeds.

In an earthenware bowl put the chopped tomatoes, finely diced garlic, oil, and basil. Cover with a cloth towel and let everything marinate for an hour.

When the marinade is almost ready, cook the spaghetti, drain it and add it to the earthenware bowl. Add the grated pecorino. Sprinkle black or red pepper as you choose.

Serve and accompany with a robust red wine not exceeding 12%.

Recipe by Bruno --English translation by A. Dieli

Biscotti

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bleached flour
2 t anise seeds
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

1/4 lb butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
1 t grated orange zest

2 eggs (3 if eggs are small)
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t almond extract
1 cup chopped almonds

Heat oven to 325. Combine flour, anise seed, baking powder and salt and set aside. Beat butter, sugar and zest until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla and almond extracts. Gradually beat in flour mixture just until smooth. Stir in almonds.

On a baking sheet, form the dough into two logs about 1 1/2" wide by 14" long about 3" apart. Partially cut or score into diagonal slices about 1/2 inch apart. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool.

Reduce oven to 250. Cut logs through on the previous scoring and put cut-side up on baking sheets. Bake until dried, 30-40 min.

Recipe by Tina

Arancine - Deep-Fried Rice Croquettes

Pinch of saffron
2 cups Arborio rice, washed
2 cups chicken stock
Salt
2 Tb buter
1 1/2 cups grated caciocavallo or pecorino
2 eggs, separated
1 small onion
2 Tb olive oil
1/4 lb ground beef, cooked and drained of fat
1 small tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped very fine
1 Tb fresh rosemary leaves
Pinch of pepper
1/2 cup cooked peas
1/4 cup white wine
Flour, for coating
Breadcrumbs, for coating
Olive oil, for deep frying

1. Steep the saffron in 1/2 cup of warm water for 30 minutes.

2. Place the rice in a pot with the chicken stock. Add the saffron solution, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the butter. Stir and bring to a boil. Once the stock is boiling, lower the heat and cook the rice, tightly covered, until it has absorbed all the water, about 20 minutes. Spoon the rice onto a platter and mix in the cheese and egg yolks. Spread the rice out to cool.

3. Sauté the onion over medium heat in 2 Tb of olive oil for about 7 minutes, or until translucent. Add the cooked ground beef, tomato, rosemary, 1/4 t of salt, and the pepper and cook, covered, for about 8 minutes. Add the peas and the white wine. Cook until the wine has evaporated. The mixture will look like a thick ragoût.

4. Spread some flour for coating on a piece of wax paper. Lightly beat the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Spread breadcrumbs for coating on a piece of wax paper.

5. To form the rice balls, spread some rice flat in the palm of your hand, then cup your hand slightly, using the thumb of your other hand to make an indentation. To keep the rice from becoming sticky, keep a plate of cold water nearby to dip your hand into each time you form a rice ball. Place about 1 Tb of the meat mixture into the indentation and fold the edges over. Cover with some more rice and shape it with both hands into a ball the size of a lemon, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Squeeze just tightly enough to make a firm ball, but not so hard that it falls apart.

6. Roll each ball in the flour, dip it in the beaten egg white, and roll it in the breadcrumbs, coating it evenly. Refrigerate the rice balls for 30 minutes before frying.

7. Heat the oil for deep frying to 360 ºF.

8. Deep-fry the rice balls for 4 minutes or until golden. Do not fry too many at once. As the arancine finish cooking, drain on paper towels. Arancine are usually served warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12.

Recipe by Wright

Asparagi con uova - Asparags omelette

Ingredients for 4 persons

6 eggs
800 g. asparagus
olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
salt
pepper

Preparation

Cut the tender part of the asparagus into small pieces. Put them in a frying pan and let them par boil in a small amount of water for a few minutes. As soon as the water is consumed add the olive oil and brown them.

Prepare the six eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper; beat them and add the finely chopped clove of garlic; beat them some more and pour everything into the frying pan with the asparagus. Fry until the bottom is golden brown and then turn it upside down. When both sides are golden brown turn off the heat and serve.

Recipe by Bruno --English translation by A. Dieli

Sarde a beccafico - Stuffed Sardines

Ingredients for 4 persons

800 g. of big fresh sardines
1 large onion
200 g. of breadcrumbs
2 Tb finely chopped parsley
50 g. raisins
50 g. of pine nuts
50 g. of grated cheese
2 eggs
2-3 lemons, juiced
Salt and Pepper as needed.

Preparation

Clean the sardines, carefully removing the head spine. Finely chop the onion and sauté, then add the breadcrumbs, parsley, raisins, pine nuts, and the grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper and combine with two eggs (white or brown).

Spoon the stuffing into each sardine and gently place them in a baking dish; bake for about 20 minutes at medium heat. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the lemon juice.

They can be served either hot or cold and they can also be cooked in a tomato sauce.

Recipe by Bruno --English translation by A. Dieli

Chicken with almonds - Galletto con le Mandorle

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces (3 to 3 1/2 pounds)
6 Tbs olive oil
1 Tb tomato paste
4 Tbs white or red wine vinegar
2 Tbs sugar
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
3/4 cup blanched almonds, crushed
1/4 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted

1. Brown the chicken in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over low heat. This will take about 15 minutes. Drain the chicken and set aside.

2. Pour the remaining olive oil into the pan with the tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup warm water. When the sauce begins to boil, add the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and crushed almonds. When the sauce returns to a boil, add the chicken pieces, lower the heat, and cook, uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes, adding a little water if the sauce starts to get too thick. Turn the pieces of chicken over at least once.

3. Arrange the chicken on a platter covered with some sauce. Sprinkle the toasted almonds on top. Serve warm in winter and at room temperature in summer.

Serves 4

Recipe by Wright

Pallini di mazzapani - Marzipan Balls

Ingredients:

oven proof paper cases, about 1 1/2 inches across the bottom (you can make them from wax paper)
1 lb. 1 ounce shelled almonds
2 cups sugar
grated zest of 1 large lemon
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white
sugar for garnish
(makes about 75 marzipan)

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a small food processor, chop and pulverize the almonds in batches while gradually adding sugar. Place in bowl and add lemon zest. Beat the eggs with vanilla and add to mixture, mixing well with hands. Note that the mixture must be soft and moist, but not wet.

Form tiny balls to fit paper cases and place on cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes until slightly browned. Remove from oven and while still hot, sprinkle sugar over the marzipan. Cool on cake racks.

When completely cooled and hardened, peel off paper cases. If too browned on bottom, scrape off gently with fine grater. They can be stored in tin boxes for some weeks.

Recipe by Arba-1

Anise Liqueur - Zammù

This liqueur, now quite famous as sambuca, was originally an Arab-Sicilian invention for medicinal and disinfectant purposes. The taste is similar to Pernod or Ouzo.

1 Quart 100-proof vodka
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup aniseed
Grated peel of 1 lemon

Combine the vodka, sugar, aniseed, and lemon zest in a sterilized 2-quart juice jar or other bottle. Mix and let stand for 30 days, shaking it from time to time. Filter it and bottle it, and it is ready to use.

When serving, mix the liqueur with lots of ice water and sugar.

Makes 1 quart.

Recipe by Wright

Latti di Mennuli - Almond milk beverage

Ingredients

6 oz. (150 grams) almond paste
1 liter fresh water

Method:

Blend the almond paste and the water in a Blender. Refrigerate before serving.

Note: During the summer months you can use half of the mixture to create "almond ice cubes" to refresh the drink.

Recipe by Arba-1

Gaddina Catanisi - Catania-Style Chicken

1 chicken, 3-1/2 to 4 pounds
Salt
fresh rosemary
marjoram (or oregano)
garlic, chopped
1 nutmeg, to grate
extra virgin olive oil
scallions, use only the white ends, chopped
1 cup of orange juice, unsweetened
4 Tbs cognac
Pepper

Cut chicken into eight parts. Sprinkle each part with salt, fresh rosemary, marjoram, chopped garlic to taste, and a good three scrapes of nutmeg. Choose a baking dish that will accommodate the chicken in one layer and can be used on top of the stove as well as in the oven. Place a small amount of extra virgin olive oil in the pan, turn heat to high, and brown the chicken.

When the chicken is well browned on all sides, add the chopped scallions, the cup of orange juice, pepper and 4 tablespoons of cognac. Transfer to a preheated oven at 375 degrees. Bake for 1-1/4 hours. Baste the chicken with th pan juices from time to time. When cooked, serve it in the baking dish in which it was baked

Recipe by Arba-2

Spezzatinu di Viteddu - Veal Stew with Onions

Ingredients

3/4 cup Olive Oil
3-1/2 pounds lean stewing veal, cut into 1-inch pieces with gristle and excess fat removed
1 large onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons flour

Serves 4

Put the olive oil, veal, and onion into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, mix together, and turn the heat to high. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the tomato paste, vegetable bouillon cubes, and sugar, and mix very well. Pour enough cool water into the pan to almost cover the top of the veal. Bring the stew to a boil. Sprinkle the flour over the top of the veal. Immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook, partially covered, for about 30 minutes without stirring. Then remove the cover, stir, and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the spezatino to a warmed serving dish and serve with mashed potatoes.

Recipe by Tornabene