Typical dish of Catania
Catanese Cartocciata
The Catanese cartocciata is a soft pizza dough folded into a half-moon or rolled shape, baked until golden and slightly crisp on the outside. Inside it holds a gooey filling of mozzarella, tomato, and ham, often enriched with fried eggplant that adds a characteristically Etnean touch. Each bite is warm and fragrant, balancing crusty bread with a savory filling. It is one of the most immediate pleasures of Sicilian rosticceria, perfect as a quick snack or a savory break during the day.
Season: Tutto l'anno€2–4
Why it matters
In Catania, the cartocciata is a symbol of the city’s rosticceria tradition, alongside arancini and cipolline. It is everyday food in bars and tavole calde: inexpensive, filling, and always present in shop windows. It represents the city’s convivial and popular spirit, where food is often eaten standing up, between chats and the rhythm of urban life.
Origin story
The cartocciata emerged in the twentieth century in Catania’s tavole calde, a creative evolution of pizza dough adapted to the Sicilian rosticceria tradition. Its closed shape made it possible to enclose simple ingredients and keep them warm and melty for longer. Over time, variations with eggplant, mushrooms, or olives appeared, but the version with tomato, mozzarella, and ham remains the most classic.
Typical ingredients
impasto di pizzapomodoromozzarellaprosciutto cottomelanzane
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