Cassata siciliana is a classic Sicilian dessert made by combining ricotta, pan di Spagna, candied fruit, and marzipan. These elements sweetly unify over two thousand years of Sicilian culinary history in one shot. Ricotta has been produced since Roman times and the sugar added to it was brought by Arabs in the ninth century (along with the citrus that would later be candied in the Baroque age). The marzipan, too, is an Arab recipe and Pan di Spagna came with Spanish dominion on the island (though it was originally a Genovese recipe).
Tom
February 8th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Nothing says Sicilian dessert like that seafoam green color. Cassata = Yummy!
Daily Food Photo: Lo Sfinge
February 25th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
[...] love of ricotta in all its sweet forms is no secret. I couldn’t turn down a cassata, crostata, or cannolo to save my life. My obsession with lo sfinge is no less intense. And while [...]
Sicily: a food and wine checklist | Vino Con Vista
April 6th, 2010 at 12:50 am
[...] Hard to describe but Katie Parla does a good job and has a mouth-watering photo of cassata along with [...]
Rome’s Budget Dining Trend
June 18th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
[...] fine dining restaurant in the Hotel Majestic on the Via Veneto. For dessert there are cannoli and cassate siciliane. Beverages are unlimited. €38 may not sound like a bargain, but consider that three little [...]
Daily Food Photo: Seekh Kebab
June 18th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
[...] foods are meant to be both delicious and aesthetically pleasing. Take this cassata siciliana and these tortellini, for example. Other foods are made with absolutely, positively no aesthetic [...]
L’Arcangelo, A Gastronomic Armageddon
June 18th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
[...] the seven trumpets: The dessert dubbed cassatina invisibile was neither like a small cassata nor was it invisible. The typical Sicilian cassata is a cloying dessert made with sweetened ricotta [...]
Daily Food Photo: Cristalli di Zucchero
June 18th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
[...] specializing in picture perfect cakes. We had an assortment of mini pastries including cheesecake, cassata, and tiramisu. Cristalli di Zucchero is located on Via di San Teodoro, 88. You can read more about [...]
Sunday Binge By Bicycle
June 19th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
[...] cappuccino and espresso, we plotted out next step, picking out six mini pastries including a cassatina to rival any in Palermo and a rich and dreamy chocolate cube. Sufficiently energized, we headed [...]
Sicily: a food and wine checklist » Italy
September 13th, 2012 at 3:30 am
[...] Hard to describe but Katie Parla does a good job and has a mouth-watering photo of cassata along with [...]