Taste of the Sea and Spaghetti Siracusana

In Syracuse, I stayed on the island of Ortigia, just at the tip of the Syracuse peninsula.   The island is connected to the main city of Syracuse by three bridges and bordered by the deep blue waters of the Meditterean. 

We spent the first half of the day taking an Ortigia boat tour.  The little boat slipped in and out of the rocky grottos.  One grotto after another with different names; one was named green, one violet, one inammorata (because the opening was the shape of a heart), one coral.  I had a hard time keeping up with the captain as he rattled the names off in a thick Sicilian accent, which chopped off endings of words.  I kept repeating the words in my schoolbook Italian and awful Amercian accent to make sure I was understanding correctly, as if knowing the name of each grotto was necessary to admire its beauty.  Luckily he found me more of an amusement then an annoyance, and he started repeating the names without my asking.   

We stopped a few times so we could "fare un bagno nel mare" (literally meaning--take a bath in the ocean).  With the ocean so blue and clear it's impossible to resist jumping in for a bath.

After a day on the boat, I wanted a dish that tasted of the sea.  The pasta plate named after the city of Siracuse is just that; it's fish and salt and the breadcrumbs  soak up these flavors.  The taste lingers on the tongue like the salty sea on my skin after my bath in the ocean. 

You can find Spaghetti Siracusana on the menu at most of the trattorie in Syracuse.  Each trattoria has its own version, adding tomatoes, raisins, and/or pinenuts to the dish.  All Spaghetti Siracusana have capers, breadcrumbs, and olive oil at the base.  Below is my version of Spaghetti Siracusana.  Let me know how you like it and whether you made changes to make your own version.

 

Spaghetti Siracusana

serves 4

About 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 pound peeled plum tomatoes, pressed through a mesh strainer

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 salt-cured anchovies, rinsed and finely chopped

2 tablespoons salt-cured capers, rinsed

1/2 cup green olives, pitted and roughly chopped

8 basil leaves, torn

1 pound spaghetti

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/3 cup freshly ground pecorino cheese

 

Heat the olive oil.  Add the eggplant and sauté for about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and let reduce for about 10 minutes.  Add the anchovies, capers, olives and basil and heat through.

 

Meanwhile, boil two quarts of lightly salted water.  Cook the spaghetti until al dente.  Drain and add to the sauce, tossing the mixtures together.  Off the heat, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and pecorino cheese and serve.

  

  

  

  

Comments

[Paula Aiello]

This is great. I can't wait to make it. I love melanzani. Those photos are TOO amazing :-)

[Jozee Pizzurro]

My wish is to take the Ortigia boat tour someday.
The waters are beautiful and just might tempt me to take a swim. Must be very relaxing to go through the grotto's.
The Spaghetti Siracusana brings back memories of one of my father's favorite dishes. He made it often and it became one of my favorites too. I can just taste that fabulous dish by just looking at the photo and reading the recipe ingredients.
Hmmm - perhaps someone can make it for me someday!

[Petra]

Spaghetti Siracusana remind me at the story of Spaghetti alla puttanesca. I wrote about the dish some months ago. And though most people think Spaghetti alla puttanesca were invented in Napoli, the name was first mentioned in a novel of Raffaele La Capria as "spaghetti alla puttanesca come li fanno a Siracusa". And I wonder if he just meant Spaghetti Siracusana.