The kitchen mixes the products of its sea with those of the earth coming from the neighbors Iblei Mountains, as famous local typical products and appreciated inside and out of Italy: from the tomato of pachino to the almond of Bleak, from the honey of Sortino to the potato typical novella really of the city of Syracuse. As it regards here the first dishes they are made cavateddi, similar to the cavatellis pugliesi, usually seasoned with bottarga of tuna of Marzamemi, almonds of Bleak and tomatoes ciliegini of Pachino, the raviolis casarecci, from the rectangular form full of fish, the lollis, a more pasta typical of the province, seasoned with base juice of meat of pig or with the famous macco of fave (Lolli no Maccu).
Particular is the fried pasta alla siracusana that according to tradition was invented by a cook at the service of a tyrant Syracuse, probably Dionysus, to satiate the infinite appetite of the sovereign.
The recipe consists in frying the pasta in the pan, then garnish with salted anchovies, garlic, breadcrumbs or bread crumbs, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Among the fish dishes there is the tuna to the ghiotta, with potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and onion; the soup of fish to the siracusana, with mackerel, shrimp, mussels, clams, squids and cuttlefish, to which they are added red tomatoes, green olives, capers, slices of stale bread, oil and chilli; the grouper matalotta, with olives, capers of Pantelleria, clove garlic, onion and parsley. Among the best known meat dishes are the falsomagro, farsumauru or falsumagru in dialect, a roll of meat cooked in the oven and stuffed with cured meats, cheese, boiled eggs and other ingredients; meatballs with sauce (the purpets); the stemperata rabbit (Cunigghiu a’ stimpirata), fried in a pan with capers, white olives, tomatoes and celery.
As far as vegetables are concerned, caponata is the most common side dish, but also eggplant parmigiana and pipi iè mulinciane arrustute, peppers and aubergines roasted and seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley, mint and vinegar.
Syracuse sweets are many, among the most famous almond paste, which reign undisputed in the bakeries of the city, granite, in particular almonds and lemon; giuggiulena, a nougat typical of the festivities the Syracusan cassata, which is distinguished by the fact that layers of sponge cake are used instead of icing; peels, frosted almond biscuits with pistachios or candied orange peels; Siracusan totò, biscuits covered with chocolate icing prepared for the feast of the dead, which are found both black (chocolate) and white (lemon). Finally, the most particular cake of Syracuse, linked to Saint Lucia, who was born and lived in this city: la cuccìa. A dessert with a spoon made with boiled wheat, sweetened ricotta, candied fruit, pieces of dark chocolate and almonds. ( Gambero Rosso 18.11.2016)
