What to Eat in Sicily: 21 Must Try Foods

Each region of Italy has its own distinctive cuisine, and food in Sicily is especially full of surprises.

Bread is topped with sesame seeds, couscous is found next to pasta on menus, raisins turn up in spaghetti, and gelato is eaten stuffed in a brioche bun—for breakfast.

It’s no wonder that traditional Sicilian food feels different from what you find further north. The island is closer to Tunis than to Rome and has absorbed influences from its many invaders including the Greeks, Arabs, Normans, and Spanish.

Unsurprisingly for an island, fish features heavily on the typical Sicilian menu, and we didn’t find it quite as vegetarian-friendly as Puglia, our favourite Italian region for eating.

We always managed to find something on menus, though, often involving melanzana (aubergine/eggplant). Vegans will have to ask for the pasta dishes without cheese. 

Most places offer meat-free tagliere (tasting platters) showcasing the best local cheese, vegetables, and dips.

If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll be spoilt in Sicily. Sicilians pride themselves on their sweet decadent pastries. Then there are refreshing granite from local lemons and mulberry fruits, and creamy gelato from pistachios grown on the island.

In this guide, I share our favourite Sicilian dishes from the two months we’ve spent in Sicily including snacks, pasta, desserts, and drinks.

At the bottom of the post, you’ll find our Sicily restaurant recommendations and a handy map with everywhere mentioned.

Contents

• Sicilian Snacks and Starters
• Sicilian Pasta Dishes
• Sicilian Desserts
• Drinks in Sicily
• Our Favourite Restaurants in Sicily
• Map of Sicily Restaurants
• More Sicily Tips

Sicilian Snacks and Starters

1) Pane con Panelle

Sicilian street food is popular in Palermo, but most of it is not vegetarian-friendly (think spleen and sheep’s intestines). One thing we could indulge in was panelle or chickpea fritters.

They are simply made by frying a batter made from chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt. They are suitable for vegans.

We often ate these delicious, melt-in-the-mouth fried snacks as an antipasto (starter) in restaurants or as pane con panelle on the street stuffed in a sesame seed roll.

We found good versions in the Ballaro Market and at Nni Franco U Vastiddaru near Piazza Marina where we enjoyed the Triplo with panelle, potato croquettes, and aubergine.

Although you’ll find panelle most often in Palermo, we were pleased to find them as a starter at Pizzeria Schiticchio in Siracusa on the east coast (see our Syracuse travel guide). They worked really well with a curry mayonnaise.

2) Pane Cunzato

Pane cunzato means seasoned bread and was typically a way of turning stale bread into a tasty meal by adding herbs and spices. Over time, the toppings have become richer and might include cheese or anchovies.

We ate pane cunzato at the legendary Da Alfredo’s cafe in Lingua village on the gorgeous Salina island.

These open top sandwiches are huge (more than enough for two to share) and we opted for the misto without tuna.

The bread base was overflowing with cherry and sun-dried tomatoes, marinated aubergine, capers, olives, mozzarella, and lots of olive oil. Perfect for a light lunch followed by one of their granitas.

3) Arancini

Arancini are the most famous Sicilian snack. These deep-fried rice balls are often filled with meat, but you can also find them with vegetarian fillings.

Norma (with aubergine, tomato, and ricotta), melanzane (aubergine, often with tomato and mozzarella), and spinaci (spinach, often with mozzarella) are the most common meat-free fillings. We also had one with mozzarella and caper pesto on Salina.

You’ll find them everywhere in Sicily (you could do a Google Maps search to find some nearby). In East Sicily, our favourites were at Da Cristina in Taormina and Centumila in Catania.

Arancini are good for a quick lunch to take to the beach, an early evening snack, or a couple of them make a quick, affordable dinner.

4) Caponata

Caponata is a very typical Sicilian antipasto found on most menus. It’s a deliciously tangy, sweet and sour mix of fried aubergine, tomatoes, capers, and vinegar, usually served at room temperature.

It’s perfect for vegetarians and vegans, but it’s a must try food in Sicily for everyone.

It was delicious everywhere we tried it.

5) Parmigiana di Melanzane

My favourite Italian dish is parmigiana di melanzane, layers of baked aubergine, tomato sauce and cheese. It’s popular all over Italy, but apparently originates in Sicily (although Naples also claims it as their own).

Don’t miss this classic Sicilian dish. You’ll find it on antipasti menus at restaurants or in a tavola calda or rosticceria (casual restaurants with ready-made hot dishes, often to takeaway).

We often found that casual spots with arancini (like Da Cristina) also had parmigiana.

6) Tagliere

Tagliere literally means cutting board and it refers to a tasting platter of (usually cold) dishes, often served on a board.

Every region of Italy has a different focus for its tagliere and it’s a great way to try local specialities.

Sicily is one of our favourite places to eat them as there are often vegetarian (or even vegan) versions with lots of marinated vegetables, cheeses, olives, dips and more. They usually come with bread.

Sometimes they’ll include Sicilian classics like caponata and parmigiana (like the excellent one we had at La Bottega del Formaggio in Taormina).

A tagliere is fantastic for lunch or a light dinner. They are often served at an enoteca (wine bar) or at delis and cheese shops.

One of our favourites was at Caseficio Borderi, a cheese shop in Ortigia Market in Siracusa. Our East Sicily itinerary includes quite a few we enjoyed.

7) Impanata

Sicilian impanata is a kind of pie made with bread dough and stuffed with different fillings.

We tried it in Ortigia in Siracusa at two casual spots in the Jewish Quarter—U Siciliano Ortigia (stuffed with aubergine) and Antica Giudecca (with potato).

It’s a good alternative to an arancini for a quick, inexpensive meal or snack.

8) Sfincione

Sfincione is a type of thick pizza slice that’s most commonly found in Palermo. The crust is spongy (similar to focaccia) and it’s typically topped with tomatoes, anchovies, and onions.

A good place to try it in Palermo is Antica Focacceria San Francesco (where you can try many of these Sicilian dishes). You can also find it at street carts.

As it features anchovies, we didn’t try it in Palermo, so we were happy to find a few fish-free versions in Noto at the wonderful bakery Panificio Maidda.

They use ancient grains in the dough and have a few vegetarian versions. We had the potato, onion and rosemary, and it was delicious. You indicate how much you want and pay by weight.

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Sicilian Pasta Dishes

9) Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma is the most common vegetarian dish on Sicilian menus. It’s a tomato and aubergine sauce topped with ricotta salata.

You’ll find it everywhere. We also like to have Norma arancini and Norma pizzas.

10) Busiate alla Trapanese

Another wonderful vegetarian pasta dish is with pesto alla Trapanese from the city of Trapani.

This typical Sicilian food is made with fresh tomatoes, almonds, garlic and basil, and is usually served with busiate, a long twisty fresh pasta from the area.

The version pictured above at Caupona Taverna di Sicilia in Trapani was topped with breadcrumbs and grilled aubergine.

11) Pasta cu Maccu

Pasta cu Maccu is Sicilian dialect for fava bean puree with pasta. It’s a hearty dish that we ate at our favourite restaurant in Palermo, Trattoria Altri Tempi.

You are automatically signed up for a tasting menu (we didn’t realise this on our first visit), so wine and water are unlimited, an array of starters, dessert, and digestivi are brought out, and you choose your main course from the menu. It’s excellent value.

12) Pasta Chi Vruoccoli Arriminata

Another dish we ate at Altri Tempi was this thick spaghetti with a hollow middle served with mashed cauliflower, raisins, and breadcrumbs.

13) Spaghetti with Capers

Capers are grown on the island of Salina so they feature heavily on the menu there.

We ate them made into a pesto with mint, parsley and pecorino cheese, and with a simple tomato sauce at A’Lumeredda in Malfa.

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Sicilian Desserts

14) Cannoli

Cannoli are the most well known Sicilian dessert. Flaky pastry tubes are filled with creamy sweet ricotta and often studded with dried fruit.

You can find all sorts of variations like chocolate or pistachio filling, but ricotta is the most traditional. Sheep’s milk ricotta is the absolute best as it’s higher quality and not as sweet as cow’s milk ricotta.

You can find cannoli at bakeries and on restaurant dessert menus all over Sicily.

15) Cassata

We didn’t try cassata until one of our last days in Sicily as the bright green mounds didn’t look very appetising, but they are surprisingly tasty.

This super sweet dessert consists of sponge cake moistened with liqueur, ricotta, and candied fruit covered in green marzipan and icing.

16) Frutta Martorana

You see these marzipan sweets in pastry shops all over Sicily moulded into brightly coloured fruit shapes. They look too plastic to eat but were actually soft and aromatic.

17) Gelato in Brioche

Food in Sicily can be rather decadent and no more so than when it comes to the traditional Sicilian breakfast—gelato!

Gelato in Sicily is served in cones, cups, or stuffed in large sweet brioche buns and often eaten for breakfast in the hot summer months.

My favourite gelato flavour in Sicily is pistachio and our most frequent gelato stop was Cafe Spinnato in Palermo.

In Eastern Sicily, I loved the pistachio gelato at Don Peppinu in Catania (with branches elsewhere too) and Levante Gelato Artigianale in Ortigia. They both charge a premium for using Bronte pistachios (the highest quality grown on the slopes of Mt Etna), but it’s worth it.

In fact, any pistachio-based desserts in Sicily are worth trying.

18) Granita

Granita is a refreshing sorbet-like mix of ice, fruit, and sugar. In Sicily, it’s thicker than elsewhere in Italy so is eaten with a spoon rather than drunk through a straw.

You can also scoop it up with brioche for breakfast.

I like lemon and black mulberry (gelsi) flavours.

Bam Bar in Taormina is an excellent place to try it, but you’ll find granita everywhere.

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Drinks in Sicily

19) Wine

If you drink wine, you’ll have lots of choice in Sicily and it’s very affordable.

The full-bodied Nero d’Avola is the most famous Sicilian red wine.

For white wine, look for Etna Bianco (using the carricante grape).

There are lots of other wines to try. The best way is to go to an enoteca (wine bar) where you can try them by the glass.

We liked Enoteca Il Barocco in Ragusa Ibla and Enoteca Evoè in Ortigia. They are also good places for a light meal or early dinner (if you can’t wait for restaurants to open).

20) Malvasia Wine

Malvasia is a sweet honey-like dessert wine made on Salina in the Aeolian Islands. It’s particularly good with simple almond pastries.

21) Digestivo

Sicilians like to end a meal with a digestivo liqueur to help aid digestion.

We were surprised at Trattoria Altri Tempi in Palermo when at the end of the meal they placed bottles of their homemade fennel, bay leaf, and lemon digestivi on the table for us to help ourselves. The perfect way to end the meal.

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Our Favourite Restaurants in Sicily

These are the places we recommend to try Sicilian cuisine on the island. 

Siracusa (Syracuse)

• Caseficio Borderi – A cheese shop in Ortigia market where you can try wonderful platters (vegetarian or meat) of cheese, vegetables, and caponata. The sandwiches are also tasty (and huge).
• Trattoria La Foglia – The gran piatto di verdure (a big plate of vegetables, rice, omelette, and other bits) is a good starter to share followed by the Tagliolini alla Norma.
• Antica Giudecca – A casual takeout spot for arancini and impanata.

See my guide to the best things to do in Syracuse Sicily for more suggestions.

Taormina

• La Bottega del Formaggio – We had an amazing tagliere at this cheese shop including caponata and melanzana parmigiana. There are meat, vegetarian and vegan options and you can choose your size (medium was plenty for two). Great local wines too.
• Rosticceria Da Cristina – A casual takeout spot with excellent arancini and melanzana parmigiana.

See my guide to the best things to do in Taormina for more suggestions.

Palermo

• Trattoria Altri Tempi, Via Sammartino 65, Palermo – Go hungry as you’ll be served lots of food and drinks with their fixed menu.
• Nni Franco u’ Vastiddaru, Via Vittorio Emanuele 102 (near Piazza Marina), Palermo – Variety of panelle sandwiches.
• Antico Caffe Spinnato, Via Principe di Belmonte 111, Palermo – Delicious pastries and gelato.

Trapani

• Caupona Taverna di Sicilia, Via San Francesco D’Assisi (Piazza Purgatorio), Trapani – Excellent, slightly upmarket food on a quiet street across from a church.

Alcamo

• Agriturismo Tarantola, near Alcamo – You can stay the night at this farm or (as we did), book in advance for wine tasting and a delicious meal.

Salina, Aeolian Islands

• Da Alfredo’s, Lingua, Salina – The place to go for pane cunzato and granita.
• A’Lumeredda, Via San Lorenzo 11, Malfa – Our favourite restaurant in this little village.

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Map of Sicily Restaurants

I hope this post has helped you learn more about what to eat in Sicily. The food really is a highlight of a visit to the island. Leave a comment below and share your favourite Sicilian dishes.

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More Sicily Tips

East Sicily

• The Perfect Eastern Sicily Itinerary: Food, Views and Baroque
• 11 Wonderful Things to Do in Taormina, Sicily
• 18 Best Things to Do in Syracuse, Sicily

West Sicily

• 12 Best Places to Visit in Western Sicily
• Exploring Peaceful Salina in Sicily’s Aeolian Islands
• A Guide to Hiking Stromboli Volcano
• Our Month Living in Palermo

Food

• Dos and Don’ts of Eating in Italy

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