9 types of pasta you must try in Sicily

Pasta con le Sarde; Pasta alla Norma; Couscous alla Trapanese; Busiate al Pesto Trapanese; Spaghetti ai ricci di mare; Spaghetti al Nero di Seppie; Pasta al Forno; Lasagne Cacate di Modica; Pasta con Pesce Spada e Menta.

Pasta con le Sarde

Fresh sardines, salted anchovy fillets and wild fennel are made into a sauce with distinct North African flair thanks to the addition of pine nuts, raisins and saffron, before being stirred through bucatini, a type of spaghetti with a hole running through the centre.

Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma is arguably the best representation of Sicilian cuisine out there, making the most of local tomatoes, aubergines, garlic, basil and ricotta salata, salted ricotta. It’s called Norma after the nineteenth century opera of the same name – both the dish and the music are regarded as true masterpieces.

Couscous alla Trapanese

A typical food of western Sicily and North Africa is the couscous, cooked above all in the Trapani area where in the local dialect it is called cùscusu. It is prepared "nocking" the durum wheat semolina, which is then steamed in a particular perforated glazed earthenware pot and combined with various seasonings to obtain the fish couscous or the vegetable couscous. For its multicultural roots it is also celebrated as a Plate of Peace.

Busiate al Pesto Trapanese

It’s most commonly seen in Trapani, where cooks will bash together almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic and Pecorino cheese in a pestle and mortar to create a pesto-like sauce. It is traditionally served with busiate, a local pasta shape which is similar to fusilli and looks a little like a telephone cord.

Spaghetti ai ricci di mare

Pasta with sea urchins is a delicacy for those who love fish dishes. In fact, this first simple and sumptuous dish simply enhances the taste and smell of the sea. It is no coincidence that sea urchins, biological indicators of the health of the sea, guarantee all the flavor of the Mediterranean. The edible sea urchin is the female, although hedgehogs are neither males nor females as hermaphrodites.

Spaghetti al Nero di Seppie

Among the many seafood recipes, that of spaghetti with cuttlefish ink has a special charm. The deep black color of the dish could impress those who taste it for the first time. The daredevils, in fact, will enjoy a real delicacy.

Pasta al Forno

The Baked Pasta is a delicious typical Sicilian first course, tasty and rich. Each one preserves its own family recipe, indicating which ingredients have been passed on for several generations.

Lasagne Cacate di Modica

One of the Sicilian recipes most used by good housewives in the Christmas period is that of "lasagna cacate". The first course, with an unpleasant name, essentially conceals an extraordinary taste. His hometown is Modica, in the province of Ragusa, but is very well known throughout the Sicily region.

Pasta con Pesce Spada e Menta

The aromas and flavors of Sicily on your table: the swordfish and mint pasta is a simple and savory first course to be savored and shared. The fresh mint leaves that enhance the taste of swordfish and which, together with the aubergines and the cherry tomatoes, will make you discover a corner of Sicily with a forkful.