Fish is one of the main ingredients of Sicilian cuisine, rich in Mediterranean aromas and flavors. Sicily is a land entirely surrounded by the sea, and over the centuries many delicious seafood recipes have sprung up that have slowly spread throughout Italy and the world, symbolizing the island’s gastronomic excellence.
Those who come to Sicily know that they cannot pass up booking a lunch or dinner at one of the many seafood restaurants that populate the Tyrrhenian, Ionian and part of the Mediterranean coast, with the Sicilian Channel.
From fishing villages to seaside hamlets and tuna fisheries, Sicilian tradition has been studded and embellished with recipes from the sea, for centuries the source of inspiration for local cuisine.
But what are the best Sicilian seafood recipes to try and enjoy at least once? Think of sitting in a small restaurant with an exclusive view of the sea and make yourself comfortable.
Let’s discover together 15 fish recipes to savor all the taste of Sicilian cuisine!
Sarde a beccafico (sardines)
Delicious rolls of sardines, with a simple filling, but with a strong flavor. Sarde a beccafico are a typical Sicilian cuisine dish and one of the most loved and appreciated. There are several versions of this fish recipe.
For example, the Palermo tradition is to use raisins in the filling of the sardine rolls, which give the dish a delicious sweet-and-sour flavor. Pine nuts and breadcrumbs, two other key ingredients in this dish, are also featured in two other tasty seafood recipes: Pasta con le sarde and Pasta c’anciova.
But what does sarde a beccafico mean? Beccafico is a bird that is very fond of figs, which in the 1800s was prized by Sicilian nobles for its extremely tasty meat. Sardines a beccafico have nothing to do with birds, it is obvious, but the shape and the little tails of the sardines undoubtedly recall the animal. A distinctive and tasty fish dish that is also easy to prepare, perfect as an appetizer or to serve as a main course.
Sarde allinguate
Sarde allinguate is a delicious traditional Sicilian dish and an example of “poor” cuisine that is now popular throughout Italy. There are variations of this dish as well, such as sweet and sour, which brings out the unique flavor of the fish in an extraordinary way.
The origin of this dish can be attributed to the Spaniards, who dominated Sicily for centuries and helped enrich Sicily’s artistic, architectural and gastronomic heritage.
But why are they called “sarde allinguate”? The Spaniards ate sole lenguado, which was cooked exactly as sarde allinguate is cooked today, that is, open and without bones. Sole lenguado thus inspired this fish recipe.
The intense aroma of the sardines had to be disguised with vinegar, which is why in several parts of the island this dish absolutely must be eaten with wine vinegar. In other parts of the island, however, some will turn up their noses.
Whether you enjoy it with vinegar or not, it is worth trying at least once this tasty, quick and easy fish recipe! The important thing is to prepare it with fresh, freshly caught fish.
Swordfish carpaccio
Sushi? And why not a plate of swordfish carpaccio instead? Well, yes, this fish dish can be called the “Sushi of Sicily,” and with the arrival of summer it is a must-have fish appetizer, fresh and with a simply unique flavor. Marinated swordfish carpaccio consists of thin slices of swordfish, no more than 2 mm thick, which can be eaten raw after a long marination with lemon juice.
To obtain evenly cut slices, ideally you should have a slicing machine available, but in case it is not available, ask your trusted fishmonger.
This appetizer has fairly recent origins and is often paired with other fish carpaccio such as salmon. The flavor is light and fresh, thanks to the lemon or orange juice that makes this dish the perfect way to open a seafood lunch or dinner.
Salad of oranges, olives and herring
Olives and herring? And oranges as well? Well, yes. Although the combination of these ingredients may raise some doubts and perplexity, actually the combination of these flavors becomes a perfect combination for an exceptional taste that will win you over.
Perfect as an appetizer or as a side dish for fish dishes, the orange, olive and herring salad a can be enjoyed with a great glass of wine and ecstasy is assured. The combination of flavors, unusual for some, will win you over.
This is a perfect dish for the fall and winter season if you want to use seasonal ingredients. There are many variations of this popular salad and it is often customized according to personal taste, but they all have orange and smoked herring in common.
Seafood salad and Carpaccio di polpo (octopus carpaccio)
The main ingredient of seafood salad and octopus carpaccio is boiled octopus, in Sicilian dialect “purpu vugghiutu,” a typical dish of Palermo street food. A real delicacy that you could once find in the city’s seaside hamlets, offered along with a wide variety of seafood: limpets, urchins, muccuna (murici).
Octopus is still cooked today in huge pots, after being pounded vigorously on the rocks by the sea. Once taken out of the pot, it is cut into pieces and flavored with freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can prepare it at home, too!
To prepare seafood salad, a real treat to be enjoyed especially in summer, fresh shellfish and crustaceans are used: octopus, shrimp, mussels and squid. The dressing, strictly “raw,” should enhance the taste of the fish, so yes to extra virgin olive oil, lemons, celery and carrots.
Octopus carpaccio is another refreshing summer dish with a unique flavor that can be enjoyed as an appetizer. Just cook it together with flavorings such as onion, carrot, parsley and peppercorns the octopus and cut it into thin slices. Best to let it marinate for at least 24 hours before enjoying it!
Tuna and baccalà (codfish) alla ghiotta
The recipe for tuna alla siciliana or tuna alla ghiotta is typical of Syracuse. Also called tuna with peppers or tuna alla siracusana, this dish is made by combining two intense flavors, that of tuna and that of peppers. The tuna is browned in plenty of oil, the same is done with the peppers. The two foods are combined at the end.
Another version of this fish dish consists of sautéing the tuna together with sliced onion instead of peppers, peeled tomatoes and capers, deglazing with white wine.
Of baccalà alla ghiotta, a typical Sicilian traditional seafood dish, there are two variants, the Palermo and the Catania versions. This is a poor recipe in which cod is the protagonist of a dish, enriched with special ingredients with a very intense taste and aroma. Preserved in salt, a very ancient technique that allowed it to be available for quite some time, salt cod is characterized by a firm and compact flesh, a strong and delicious flavor!
Calamaro ripieno (stuffed squid)
The Sicilian fish recipe for stuffed squid is a classic of Mediterranean cuisine. You’ll only need a little bread, parmesan cheese, anchovies and parsley to make a soft, full-bodied stuffing that will reveal an explosion of flavors when tasted!
The classic recipe calls for using fresh squid, preferably already cleaned, to be stuffed with olives, capers and breadcrumbs. They can be cooked with a broth of sauce or in the drier, crispier variant. A tasty and easy-to-prepare dish that will introduce you to new flavors and remind you of Sicily in every bite.
Marinated calamari salad
Here is a perfect recipe for summer, fresh and super tasty. Marinated calamari salad is a fresh, quick and inexpensive seafood appetizer that can be prepared in minutes that is also perfect to serve as a main course.
Just blanch the squid for a few minutes and then let it sit for a day to with a simple marinade made with olive oil, lemon and fresh parsley. A quick and easy way to cook squid plain and prepare a light, fresh and tasty dish!
Spaghetti con i ricci (with urchins)
If you want to take a dip in the turquoise of the Sicilian coast and feel all the flavor and scent of the sea, you must try spaghetti con i ricci (with urchins). A tasty and delicious traditional seafood pasta dish that is prepared with the flesh of urchins and can be enriched with chili pepper, basil and parsley.
At one time this dish was considered a poor and humble dish that took advantage of the abundance of sea urchins along the coasts. Today this dish is a much sought-after and refined dish that is expensive.
Only a few ingredients are needed to prepare this delicious dish. Quite simple to prepare, but pay attention to cleaning the urchins!
Pasta c’anciova e ca’ muddica
Pasta c’anciova e ca’ muddica (with anchovies and breadcrumbs) is a very simple but really tasty dish of Sicilian cuisine. Few and tasty ingredients that can be easily found and make for a truly delicious seafood recipe.
Stale bread or breadcrumbs (muddica), anchovies, but also raisins, pine nuts, parsley, garlic and, if desired, seasoned pecorino cheese.
This is an ancient dish of humble origins and Sicilian seafood tradition that can be enjoyed for special occasions or for a special lunch. Tradition dictates that this dish is prepared plain, but if you want you can tone down the salty taste of the anchovies by adding cherry tomatoes or a little tomato sauce.
You can prepare this Sicilian fish recipe any way you like, but be sure to use long pasta to make pasta c’anciova e muddica!
Spaghetti with clams and pistachios
Here is a summer dish to enjoy from the first to the last bite! That of spaghetti with clams and pistachios is a much-loved seafood recipe now widespread throughout Italy.
The sea flavor of clams combines with the flavor of the Bronte land, that of the world’s most famous pistachios. A simple, tasty first course that is perfect for warmer days when you want to enjoy fresh, flavorful dishes.
To prepare this dish, it is essential to clean the clams well to remove all traces of sand. You will just need to let the clams soak in water for 10 minutes and then rinse them several times.
Pasta al nero di seppia (squid ink pasta)
Are you ready to take a dip in the sea at night? But no, what did you understand? It’s a perfect metaphor to describe this dish, which will surprise you with both the taste of the sea and the intensely black color.
Pasta al nero di seppia is a classic Sicilian seafood recipe that you should try at least once in your life. An elegant and refined total black dish with sublime flavor that has humble origins. Fishermen used the black of the cuttlefish to season dishes in the absence of anything else. Because you know, in Sicily you don’t throw anything away!
Of course, over the years, the squid ink pasta recipe has been revisited to create a gourmet and sophisticated dish, but one with a simple and genuine nature.
Aeolian Pasta
Fresh, rich in flavor and wholesome. In short, a perfect fish recipe for the summer season. We are talking about pasta all’eoliana, a typical dish that releases all the flavor and freshness of island flavors and that comes, in fact, from the tradition of the Aeolian Islands.
This is a special recipe, which has something in common with the recipe for pasta with tuna and olives, but which is further enriched with cherry tomatoes left in the sun, black olives, oregano and Pantelleria capers. You can also add chili pepper to further enhance the flavor.
A dish that tells of the beauty of the islands of Sicily and reveals centuries-long traditions; a recipe to fall in love with at first sight and capable of winning you over from the very first bite.
Pasta con sarde e finocchietto (pasta with sardines and fennel)
Here is another dish that combines the tradition of the seafaring world with that of the rural world. Sea and countryside come together in this tasty and much-loved fish recipe in Sicily: pasta with sardines and fennel.
This is a Sicilian pasta dish prepared mainly in the province of Palermo during the summer, with simple ingredients such as wild fennel and fresh sardines. Fennel gives freshness and an authentic flavor to this dish, combined with the delicious flavor of blue fish and the sweetness of Sicilian raisins.
Involtini di pesce spada (swordfish rolls)
But how to end a Sicilian gourmet seafood lunch or dinner? Obviously with a typical and very tasty fish main course like involtini di pesce spada (wordfish rolls)! A more delicate and delicious alternative to classic meat rolls.
To prepare this fish dish, just prepare thin slices of swordfish and a filling with breadcrumbs, raisins and pine nuts, flavored with bay leaves and lemon slices. A mouth-watering dish that can be baked in the oven or pan, with a soft heart and simply unique flavor.
Are you ready to try these delicious Sicilian fish recipes? Do you have any others to recommend to our readers? Leave us a comment!
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