Savoring the Flavors of an Italian Summer: What to Eat from Sicily to the Amalfi Coast 🇮🇹☀️

Sicily: Sweet, Savory, and Sun-Soaked

Sicily’s cuisine is a mix of Mediterranean influences, featuring bold flavors, fresh produce, and unforgettable street food. If you’re planning a trip, check out our Sicily travel guide for tips, hidden gems, and where to eat across the island.

Must-Try Sicilian Foods

• Arancini – Fried rice balls filled with ragù, mozzarella, and peas. Crispy on the outside, melty inside.
• Caponata – A sweet and sour eggplant dish with capers, olives, and tomatoes. I learned to make this in Taormina at Villa Britannia, and it remains a summer favorite.
• Pasta alla Norma – Pasta with eggplant, tomato sauce, and ricotta salata.
• Cannoli – Crisp pastry tubes filled with sweet ricotta cream.
• Pane e Panelle – Chickpea fritters in a sesame bun.
• Parmigiana di Melanzane – Layers of eggplant, tomato sauce, and cheese, baked to perfection.
• Granita con Brioche – A semi-frozen treat (almond, lemon, or coffee flavor) paired with a soft brioche. Breakfast doesn’t get more Sicilian than this.

What to Drink in Sicily

• Marsala Wine – A fortified wine from Marsala, often served as an aperitif.
• Zibibbo – A golden dessert wine from Pantelleria, rich with floral and honey notes.
• Amaro Averna – Sicily’s classic bitter liqueur, perfect for post-dinner sipping.
• Etna Rosso & Etna Bianco – Volcanic wines with minerality and character from the slopes of Mount Etna.
• Cerasuolo di Vittoria – A smooth, fruit-forward red, Sicily’s only DOCG wine.
• Limoncello (Sicilian style) – Slightly less sweet than the Amalfi version, but just as summery.

Sardinia: Rustic and Rich Flavors

Sardinian cuisine leans toward earthy, hearty, and meat-forward dishes, often cooked over open flames. You can explore more in our Sardinia food and travel guide, including local festivals and off-the-path villages worth a visit.

Must-Try Sardinian Foods

• Porceddu – Roast suckling pig, slow-cooked on a spit.
• Fregola with Clams – Sardinian pasta pearls with a tomato and white wine sauce.
• Pane Carasau – Thin, crispy flatbread often served with meals.
• Culurgiones – Potato and mint-filled ravioli with pecorino cheese.
• Malloreddus – Sardinian gnocchi in a sausage tomato sauce.
• Seadas – Deep-fried pastry with cheese and honey.

What to Drink in Sardinia

• Mirto – A myrtle berry liqueur that’s herbal and intense.
• Cannonau Wine – Sardinia’s robust red, known for its antioxidants and bold flavor.

Puglia: Fresh and Flavorful

Puglia serves up vegetable-forward, Mediterranean flavors with a kick of spice and some of Italy’s best bread and cheese. If you’re heading there this summer, don’t miss our post Beaches, Burrata, and Beyond: Our Puglia Summers — it’s packed with local food highlights, hidden beaches, and favorite finds from our trips.

Must-Try Puglian Foods

• Orecchiette with Cime di Rapa – Pasta with broccoli rabe, anchovies, and garlic.
• Burrata – Soft, creamy cheese that pairs perfectly with tomatoes and olive oil.
• Focaccia Barese – Focaccia topped with tomatoes, oregano, and olives.
• Tiella – A layered bake of mussels, rice, and potatoes.
• Taralli – Crunchy bread rings flavored with fennel or pepper.
• Panzerotti – Fried dough pockets with tomato and mozzarella.
• Pasta Assassina – Spicy “killer pasta” from Bari. Think chili, garlic, olive oil, and a pan-fried crunch. We had it in Matera and still talk about it.

What to Drink in Puglia

• Negroamaro Wine – Dark, rich, and perfect with grilled dishes.
• Primitivo Wine – A bold red made from the Primitivo grape.

Liguria: Coastal and Herbaceous

This northwestern coastal region is the home of pesto and features simple dishes with bold herbal notes and fresh seafood. Want to explore more? Our Liguria and Cinque Terre travel post has tips on hikes, bites, and hidden coves.

Must-Try Ligurian Foods

• Trofie al Pesto – Twisted pasta with pesto made from basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan.
• Focaccia di Recco – Thin focaccia filled with creamy stracchino cheese.
• Farinata – A chickpea flour pancake, crisp outside and soft inside.
• Pansotti with Walnut Sauce – Pasta filled with herbs, served in a creamy walnut sauce.
• Acciughe Ripiene – Stuffed anchovies, a favorite in coastal towns (though not for everyone!).

What to Drink in Liguria

• Sciacchetrà – A sweet dessert wine from the Cinque Terre region.
• Vermentino Wine – A crisp white wine that pairs perfectly with seafood.

Amalfi Coast: Fresh and Zesty

With citrus groves lining the coast and seafood just steps from the sea, the Amalfi Coast’s cuisine is light, bright, and summer-ready. We share our favorite lemon desserts, beaches, and photo spots in our Sorrento summer post.

Must-Try Amalfi Coast Foods

• Insalata Caprese – Tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil. Simple and perfect.
• Spaghetti alle Vongole – Spaghetti with clams, garlic, and white wine.
• Delizia al Limone – Lemon sponge cake filled with lemon cream.
• Sfogliatella – A layered pastry filled with sweet ricotta.
• Scialatielli ai Frutti di Mare – Pasta with assorted seafood.
• Totani e Patate – Squid and potato stew, rustic and satisfying.

What to Drink on the Amalfi Coast

• Amalfi Coast White Wine – Crisp, minerally whites made for seaside sipping.
• Limoncello – A lemon liqueur you’ll find in every Amalfi home and bar.

Know Before You Go 🍷🍝✈️

Best time to visit: May through September offers peak flavor and sunshine.
How to get around: A rental car is ideal for Sardinia and Puglia. Trains work well for Liguria and Amalfi.
Top food experiences: Cooking classes in Taormina, winery visits in Puglia, street food tours in Palermo, and aperitivo with a view in Positano.
Good to know: While each dish has regional roots, you’ll find many of them across southern Italy, especially in summer.

Final Bite 🍴

Italian summer food is about more than eating — it’s about slowing down, sharing stories, and enjoying what’s fresh and local. Whether you’re sipping limoncello in Amalfi or biting into hot arancini on a Sicilian beach, you’re tasting a part of Italy’s soul.

Which region are you dreaming of this summer? Let us know — and don’t forget to tag us in your Italian food adventures! 🇮🇹✨