A TASTE OF SICILY

Sicilian & Mediterranean culture, cuisine and travel.

Brought to you by Isabella Akshay.

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Pasta e Patate alla Siciliana (Sicilian Pasta & Potato)

If you are fond of genuine flavours and comfort food, pasta and potatoes cannot be missing in your cookbook! Like many traditional...

"Nidi": Spaghetti Nests with Sicilian Tomato Pesto, Mozzarella Cherries and Breadcrumbs

Sicilian summers are characterised by some of the most delicious dishes of our cuisine. Fresh and tasty recipes make the most of the...

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca (and an Ode to Olives)

My dad hates olives. He hates them so much that whenever we bring them to the table he’ll put a hand over his nose and, in the most...

Summer Vegetable Bulgur Salad

Light, herby, and vibrantly flavoured, this bulgur salad is the perfect lunch or dinner for these summer days. Loaded with herbs and...

Focaccia with Rainbow Chards, Olives & Feta

Call it Focaccia, Schiacciata, Scacciuni - this pie goes by many names, depending of where it is made, but essentially it's a thin,...

Caserecce with Courgette & Cherry Tomatoes

This could possibly be one of my favourite pastas of all. To me, tomato pasta is the quintessential Italian dish and the highest form of...

Epic Smoky Aubergine with Sumac, Preserved Lemon & Chilli Paste

A smoky, rustic, super creamy aubergine mash that is loaded with flavour and just the right amount of heat. This is a showstopper....

Aubergines “in Carrozza” (lit. “In a chariot”) with Smoked Scamorza Cheese

In some families, they’d call these “medaglioni di melanzana” (aubergine medallions); in others simply “cotolette di melanzane e...

Black Venus Rice with Blackberry Balsamic, Smoked Scamorza & Summer Vegetables

Riso Venere is an aromatic rice variety from the Piemonte region in Italy. It is known for its natural black and rust colored grains and...

Sicilian Brioches

Saffron, Orange Blossom Water & Lemon Zest make this brioche so unique. They are fluffy inside, beautifully shiny on the outside, and...

Fave Fritte (Fried Fava Beans) & Aperitivo!

The Italian Aperitivo is a cultural habit that involves catching up with friends of colleagues after work over a drink and a light (or...

A Midsummer Sicilian Breakfast: Lemon Granita with Brioche

3-Ingredient Sicilian Lemon Granita - fresh, thirst-quenching and creamy! A must-try when in Sicily is breakfast with lemon Granita and...

Homemade Chestnut Cavatelli with Aubergine, Olive Tomato Sauce

Cavatelli is a classic pasta common in central and southern Italy. Handmade, usually from durum or soft wheat flour, its hollowed-out...

Jasmine, Cherry & Strawberry Salad with Infused Balsamic Vinegar

It is believed that the first to fall in love with balsamic vinegar was the Emperor Henry III, who in 1046 had it sent to him from the...

Ode to Simple Things

When Pablo Neruda wrote “Ode To Common Things” his aim was to elevate everyday items like salt, a chair, a table, or soap, to metaphors,...

Tabisca (a typical Sicilian pizza with ancient roots)

If you ever find yourself in the small coastal town of Sciacca, in the Agrigento province, and decide to order pizza, don't be surprised...

Polpette di Patate (Potato Cutlets)

“Facilissimo” (super simple) is how we would describe this dish. Different versions of these potato cutlets are made all over Italy -...

Fresh Borlotti Bean Salad with Tropea Onions & Aromatic Herbs

Insalata di Borlotti Freschi, Cipolle di Tropea e Erbe Aromatiche (recipe credit: my brother in law Federico) ~ Summer would not be...

Mitilugghia (Sicilian Fried Bread)

Mitilugghia (or matalugghia, pronounced ma-ta-lu-dja) is a kind of yeasted fried bread, seasoned with dried herbs, olive oil and salt....

Busiate con “Tenerumi” e Pomodorini Confit (Pasta with Long Squash Leaves & Confit Cherry Tomatoes)

“Tenerumi” are the leaves and tender shoots of the long squash plant called “cucuzza” found all over Sicilian markets at this time of the...