Top 5 Traditional Appetizers
in the Metropolitan City of Catania

Arancini alla Norma is a traditional variety of arancini originating from Catania, Sicily. These rice balls are stuffed with the ingredients that are used in a traditional dish called pasta alla Norma: tomato sauce with basil, eggplants, and ricotta cheese. The sauce for the filling is reduced and concentrated, and it's then stuffed into rice balls that are breaded and deep-fried in oil until golden and crunchy. Salt and pepper are standard seasonings, while garlic and butter are welcome additions to arancini alla Norma.Expand

Pizza secca, meaning dry pizza, derives its name from the crunchy, crispy texture it develops once it’s baked. It is not a regular pizza but a type of schiacciatina, a very thin flatbread with a topping that resembles a pizza in visual appearance and flavor. Consisting of flour, water, olive oil, salt, and (sometimes) yeast, the dough is rolled out very thinly before it is cut into rectangular or square-shaped slices and brushed with a combination of tomato sauce, oregano, salt, and olive oil. The topping can also be enriched with other ingredients such as finely sliced onions, olives, eggplants, dry salami, or marinara sauce, while some versions may omit the tomato sauce altogether. Pizza secca is a specialty of the Sicilian town of Catania and the surrounding area, where it is available in almost every local bakery at any time of the day. Slices of this crunchy, pizza-like flatbread make for an excellent snack or an appetizer that can be enjoyed warm or chilled.Expand

Arancini al pistacchio is a traditional variety of arancini originating from Catania and the area around Mount Etna. These rice balls are stuffed with a delicious pistacchio bechamel sauce made with Bronte pistachios that are grown near Etna. The filling is made with bechamel sauce, cream, and chopped pistachios. Once stuffed, the arancini are breaded and deep-fried in oil until golden and crunchy. Salt and pepper are traditional seasonings, while cheese such as parmesan or fontina is a welcome addition to arancini al pistacchio. Expand

Cipollate con pancetta is a traditional Sicilian appetizer originating from Catania. This simple dish is made with a combination of trimmed scallions, pancetta slices, oil, salt, and pepper. In order to prepare the dish, two or three scallions are wrapped in a strip of pancetta and seasoned with salt and pepper. The bunches are then cooked in oil over medium-high heat until the scallions and pancetta are crisp and browned on all sides. Cipollate catanesi are traditionally served hot and they can be found in many butcher shops in Sicily.Expand

Rammaché are traditional Sicilian fritters, and the dish is typical of Acireale. It's made with butter, flour, eggs, diced prosciutto crudo, parsley, lard, salt, and grated caciocavallo cheese. The dough is made with butter, flour, and eggs, and when it starts to develop bubbles, it's time to incorporate the cheese, parsley, and prosciutto into it. The balls of dough are fried in lard very slowly until golden brown. These Sicilian fritters are typically served hot.Expand