Cannoli are a pastry consisting of a tube-shaped shell of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling containing ricotta—a staple of Sicilian cuisine. They range in size from 9 to 20 centimetres. In mainland Italy, they are commonly known as cannoli siciliani.
Sicilian cuisine is the style of cooking on the island of Sicily. It shows traces of all cultures that have existed on the island of Sicily over the last two millennia. Although its cuisine has much in common with Italian cuisine, Sicilian food also has Greek, Spanish, French, Jewish, and Arab influences.
Ravioli are a type of stuffed pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough. Usually served in broth or with a sauce, they originated as a traditional food in Italian cuisine. Ravioli are commonly square, though other forms are also used, including circular and semi-circular (mezzelune).
Calzone is an Italian oven-baked turnover, made with leavened dough. It originated in Naples in the 18th century. A typical calzone is made from salted bread dough, baked in an oven and stuffed with salami, ham or vegetables, mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan or pecorino cheese, as well as an egg. Different regional variations in or on a calzone can often include other ingredients that are normally associated with pizza toppings. The term usually applies to an oven-baked turnover rather than a fried pastry, though calzoni and panzerotti are often mistaken for each other.
Arancini, also known as, depending on the region but also on the different areas of the same region, arancine, are Italian rice balls that are stuffed, coated with breadcrumbs and deep-fried. They are a staple of Sicilian cuisine. The most common arancini fillings are: al ragù or al sugo, filled with ragù, mozzarella or caciocavallo cheese, and often peas, and al burro or ô burru, filled with ham and mozzarella or béchamel sauce.
Braciola may refer to several distinct dishes in Italian cuisine.
Parmigiana, also called parmigiana di melanzane, melanzane alla parmigiana or, in the United States, eggplant parmesan, is an Italian dish made with fried, sliced eggplant layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked. The origin of the dish is claimed by the Southern regions of Calabria, Campania, Apulia and Sicily. Other variations found outside Italy may include chicken, veal, or another type of meat cutlet or vegetable filling.
Sicilian pizza is a pizza prepared in a manner that originated in Sicily, Italy. Sicilian pizza is also known as sfincione or focaccia with toppings. This type of pizza became a popular dish in western Sicily by the mid-19th century and was the type of pizza usually consumed in Sicily until the 1860s. It eventually reached North America in a slightly altered form, with thicker crust and a rectangular shape.
Cotoletta is an Italian form of breaded cutlet made from veal. The dish originated in France as the côtelette de veau frite, and was created by the chef Joseph Menon in 1735. Côtelette means 'little rib' in French, referring to the rib that remains attached to the meat during and after cooking.
Caponata is a Sicilian dish consisting of chopped fried eggplant/aubergine and other vegetables, seasoned with olive oil, tomato sauce, celery, olives, and capers, in an agrodolce sauce.
Panelle are Sicilian fritters made from chickpea flour and other ingredients, usually including water, salt, pepper, olive oil, and finely chopped parsley. They are a popular street food in Palermo and are often eaten between slices of bread or on a sesame roll, like a sandwich. These sandwiches, called pane e panelle, are usually served with a slice of lemon to be squeezed over the panelle.
Frittole di maiale is a traditional dish made of pork parts in the city of Reggio Calabria and the surrounding province. Curcùci is also made in the preparation process. Frittola is a similar dish eaten in Palermo, Sicily, made from calf instead of pork.
Vastedda is the traditional Sicilian bread used to prepare the pani câ meusa, a sandwich of veal spleen. It often also includes caciocavallo and ricotta toppings. Vastedda is most common in the city of Palermo.
Venetian cuisine, from the city of Venice, Italy, or more widely from the region of Veneto, has a centuries-long history and differs significantly from other cuisines of northern Italy, and of neighbouring Austria and of Slavic countries, despite sharing some commonalities.
A croquette is a deep-fried roll originating in French cuisine, consisting of a thick binder combined with a filling, which is then breaded. It is served as a side dish, a snack, or fast food worldwide.
Pani câ meusa, also spelled pani câ mèusa, is a Sicilian street food. Its Italianized name is panino con la milza. It is a dish typical of Palermo and it consists of a soft bread topped with sesame, stuffed with chopped veal lung and spleen that have been boiled and then fried in lard. Caciocavallo or ricotta may also be added, in which case the pani câ meusa is called maritatu ; if served without cheese, it is called schettu ('single') instead. It was created by Jewish butchers in Palermo, Sicily. It is sold mainly by street vendors in Palermo's main markets, such as the Vucciria and the Ballarò.
Pasta 'ncasciata is a celebratory baked pasta dish originating in the Italian comune (municipality) of Messina, but today there are many versions from every province of Sicily as well as Calabria, in southern Italy. Ingredients vary according to the region as well as personal preferences. For example, while the dish usually uses two types of cheese, béchamel sauce may be used in lieu of one of the cheeses. It was traditionally baked in a dish placed over, as well as covered by, hot coals. The dish was made more well known by Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano.
