Sicilian cuisine includes traces of all the cultures which established themselves on the island of Sicily over the last two millennia. Although its cuisine is predominantly based on Italian cooking, Sicilian food also has Spanish, Greek and Arab influences.
Starters (Antipasti)
The starters are an important element in Sicilian cuisine. A list of the most common Sicilian startes include Eggplant caponata, cheeses, and cured meats.
Pasta
Spaghetti ai ricci (spaghetti prepared with sea urchin) Pasta alle sarde (with anchovies) and Pasta alla Norma (a specialty origiated in Catania) are the most popular typically Sicilian pasta dishes. Manicotti - pasta rolled around fresh cheese-is another famous dish.
Second course (Secondi)
After the pasta, in the typical Sicilian menu a second dish is served, usually meat or fish, but also sometimes vegetarian. Two examples of second dishes based on seafood products are Couscous al pesce and Pesce spada alla ghiotta (Swordfish).
Desserts and sweets
There are many special Sicilian sweets. Examples include: frutta martorana, pignolata, buccellato, cannolo siciliano, granita, and cassata siciliana. Granita is particularly famous and well known. It is a semi-frozen dessert of sugar, water, and natural flavorings originally from the island. Related to sorbet and italian ice, in most of Sicily, it has a coarser, more crystalline texture. Food writer Jeffrey Steingarten says that "the desired texture seems to vary from city to city" on the island; on the west coast and in Palermo, it is at its chunkiest, and in the east it is nearly as smooth as sorbet. This is largely the result of different freezing techniques: the smoother types are produced in a gelato machine, while the coarser varieties are frozen with only occasional agitation, then scraped or shaved to produce separated crystals.
