Feast of Saint Agatha in Catania
The main festival of Catania is that of Saint Agatha, which lasts three days. After a month of preparation, it takes place on 3, 4 and 5 February, three days devoted to the worship of the city’s patron saint and to folklore.
It is one of the most popular religious festivals in the world in terms of the number of worshippers it attracts, drawing up to a million people every year.
The procession travels through the places linked to the saint and her martyrdom, carrying the sacred relics, with a parade of floats.
Typical pastries are enjoyed on this occasion.
10 dishes to taste in Catania
Pasta alla Norma
A Catania classic: short pasta coated in a homemade tomato sauce, fried aubergines, basil and grated salted ricotta. A simple and generous dish, born in Catania in the 20th century, a staple of local trattorias. Ideal accompanied by a glass of Sicilian red wine, such as a Nero d’Avola, or better still an Etna Rosso.
Arancini
Breaded and fried rice ball, traditionally stuffed with ragù (meat, peas and cheese), eaten throughout Sicily, with local variations in Catania, where you can find some of the best. Enjoy it hot from a street vendor or a rosticceria to savour the crispy exterior and creamy centre.
Pasta ’ncasciata
A baked pasta dish typical of eastern Sicily: pasta baked with aubergines, ragù, caciocavallo and sometimes meatballs, gratinated until it has a golden crust. A family-friendly, warming dish, perfect for discovering the rustic flavours of the region.
Involtini di pesce spada (swordfish rolls)
Thin slices of swordfish filled with a mixture of breadcrumbs, capers, pine nuts and raisins, rolled and then grilled or roasted. A much-loved coastal speciality in Catania; often served with salad and lemon to balance the flavours.
Frittura di paranza (fried small fish)
An assortment of small fish, squid and prawns lightly coated in flour and fried, served hot with a wedge of lemon. A summery, convivial dish, perfect as a starter or a main course in seaside restaurants. It can also be enjoyed “to take away”, as at the pescheria.
Caponata
A sweet-and-sour stew of aubergines, tomatoes, celery, olives and capers, flavoured with vinegar and sugar — a great Sicilian classic. Served hot or cold, it accompanies meat, fish or fresh bread and reveals the Mediterranean influence on local cuisine.
Granita & brioche
A legendary pairing of the Catania summer: granita (a fine, flavoured ice — lemon, almond, coffee) served in a soft brioche, sometimes with panna (cream). To be enjoyed at breakfast or as a tasty break in the city’s historic cafés.
Minne di Sant’Agata (cassatelle)
An iconic Catania pastry, shaped in a symbolic form and filled with a sweet ricotta cream; eaten particularly during the feast of Saint Agatha (3–5 February). To be tasted at traditional pastry shops for its typical icing and filling.
Cannoli
A famous Sicilian pastry: fried pastry tubes filled with sweet ricotta and garnished with pistachios or candied peel. Although of broader Sicilian origin, cannoli are ubiquitous in Catania and should be enjoyed at a genuine master pastry chef’s.
Cassatelle & olivette (other sweets)
Besides the “minne”, there are the cassatelle (ricotta turnovers) and the olivette (coloured almond paste, a Saint Agatha tradition): little sweets that illustrate the city’s pastry-making richness and its religious festivals.
Gastronomy in Catania
Catania enjoys a long culinary tradition, sometimes exported all over the world.
Seafood products
Around seafood products, the starter served is seafood salad with octopus, prawns and others; anchovies marinated in oil and lemon; mussels prepared with pepper, lemon and chopped parsley; seaweed, etc.
Fried fish is common, with the species of small fish found offshore; as are roasted fish such as sea bream, sardines, etc.
Starters
As a starter, fennel salads and orange salads are also prepared.
Meats and charcuterie
Pork is prepared in jelly and as black pudding. It is also eaten as grilled sausages.
The consumption of horse is common in working-class neighbourhoods.
Pasta
The most popular pasta dishes are pasta alla Norma (pasta alla norma), with tomato sauce, fried aubergines, basil and ricotta; but also pasta with cuttlefish (sepia) or with cuttlefish ink (nero di sepia); pasta with anchovies, onion, peas and fennel; ‘ncaciata pasta with cauliflower and onion, flavoured with anchovies and olives, and pan-fried with grated caciocavallo (a southern Italian cow’s milk cheese); or pasta with sea urchins, etc.
Dishes
Among the side dishes, many are based on aubergines, such as parmigiana, or caponata with aubergines and tomatoes. Various fried vegetables are also prepared (chicory, pumpkin leaves, aubergines and courgettes) or baked ones (onions, broccoli, the typical purple cauliflower), etc.
Street food
The rotisserie, Catania’s street food, is one of the most renowned in Italy, first of all with the arancini, breaded rice balls stuffed with various fillings, then the siciliana (puff pastry filled with anchovies and tuma (cheese)), the crispelle (fritters filled with fresh ricotta or anchovies), the scacciate (bread filled with tuma and anchovies, or with vegetables).
Desserts and pastries
Among the pastries, the best known are the cannoli made with ricotta, garnished with candied fruit, chocolate or pistachios.
The other desserts and sweets encountered are the Sicilian cassata, the martorana (a paste made from almond and fruit); and others such as biscuits or various almond pastes.
The ices and granitas are of course common, including those with almond, coffee, lemon, chocolate, peach, mulberry, etc.
Wine and drinks
The local wine is Etna Rosso. Limoncello and mandarinetto are also made.
In the city’s traditional kiosks, drinks are served with fruit or fruit syrups, the most popular of which is the one with squeezed lemon, salt and seltzer water (sparkling), or with mandarin.
Almond milk is also very popular.
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