Sicilian Sauces and Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A Guide to Perfect Pairings

Sicilian sauces are rich, fragrant, and often based on bold ingredients like fried eggplant, oily fish, wild fennel, almonds, pine nuts, and raisins. In this context, extra virgin olive oil is not a minor detail: choosing the right EVOO—more delicate or more intense—changes the balance, persistence, and digestibility of the dish. This guide offers pairings between the main traditional sauces and Frantoi Cutrera oils, including the "Segreti di Sicilia" line.

Norma sauce and extra virgin olive oil: aubergines and tomatoes

Norma sauce is one of the symbols of Sicilian cuisine: tomato, fried eggplant, salted ricotta, and basil. Here, the oil is used twice: to fry the eggplant and then used raw to garnish the dish.

• For frying :
  • Choose an EVO oil with good stability and medium fruitiness, capable of withstanding temperature without weighing down (e.g. a Sicilian IGP Frantoi Cutrera blend or a “PerTutto” oil).
• For the final dressing :
  • A medium-intense fruity EVO oil, with herbaceous and tomato notes, enhances both tomatoes and fried aubergines; Sicilian monocultivars such as Tonda Iblea or Primo DOP are perfect.

Technical tip: fry the aubergines in plenty of clean EVO oil and then, on the plate, drizzle with fresh raw oil to bring back freshness and aroma.

Sardine sauce with wild fennel and extra virgin olive oil

The sardine sauce (and the Segreti di Sicilia variations based on blue fish and fennel) focuses on a balance between sweet (raisins), savory (sardines, anchovies), aromatic (fennel) and good fat.

• Cooking oil :
  • Use a medium-fruity Sicilian EVO oil, with herbaceous notes but not excessively spicy, so as not to overwhelm the oily fish. Recommendation: IGP Sicilia
• Raw oil :
  • A drizzle of fresh raw EVO on pasta with sardine sauce helps bind the toasted breadcrumbs, fennel, and seasoning, improving the sauce's adhesion to the pasta.

Tip: pair the “Segreti di Sicilia” sardine or anchovy sauce with fennel with a medium-fruity Frantoi Cutrera oil, so as to enhance the fennel and fish without overpowering them.

Farmer's Sauce with Wild Fennel

The Farmer's Sauce with wild fennel combines tomatoes, vegetables, and fennel seeds, recalling the peasant dishes of inland Sicily.

• In the pan :
  • Simply heat the sauce with a drizzle of Frantoi Cutrera EVO to reactivate the aromas and give roundness to the tomato.
• On the plate :
  • Finish with a medium fruity oil , perhaps with herbaceous notes and light hints of wild herbs, to enhance the wild fennel.

Recommended pairing: an organic Sicilian EVO or a balanced blend, to recall the rustic, peasant profile of the recipe.

Trapanese sauce, almonds and raw olive oil

Trapanese sauce is a raw version of pesto, with tomatoes, almonds, basil, and garlic. Extra virgin olive oil is the star here, practically the only fat used.

• Choice of oil :
  • A medium fruity EVO with notes of tomato and almond (typical of many Sicilian oils) is ideal: it binds the ingredients, rounds out the tomato and gives structure to the sauce.
• Amount :
  • Don't be afraid to use oil: for 4 people, 4–6 tablespoons of quality EVO not only improves flavor and creaminess, but makes the dish more filling and consistent with the Mediterranean model.

For a “homemade” version, you can use a ready-made Trapani-style sauce and enrich it with raw Frantoi Cutrera oil, chopped toasted almonds, and fresh basil.

Marinara Sauce and Simple Tomato Sauces

Simple tomato sauces ( marinara , basil sauce, traditional sauce) are the basis of everyday Sicilian pasta.

• In cooking :
  • Lightly sautéed with extra virgin olive oil, garlic or onion, then tomato: a medium-fruity, not too aggressive extra virgin olive oil is perfect here. We recommend Pertutto .
• Raw :
  • A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil at the end of cooking or directly on the plate makes the tomato shinier, balances the acidity and prolongs the flavour.

With the Segreti di Sicilia tomato-based sauces (marinara, farmer's sauce, tuna or vegetable sauces), you can simply heat the dressing and top with a Frantoi Cutrera EVO oil chosen according to the desired intensity.

Caponata, pasta sauces and other vegetable sauces

Many Sicilian pasta sauces originated as vegetable side dishes ( caponata , fennel in sauce, Sicilian-style pasta sauce) enriched with oil and often served cold.

• Caponata :
  • Fried and stewed vegetables (eggplant, celery, onions, olives, capers) require a structured EVO, capable of handling the acidity of the vinegar and the intensity of the vegetables.
• Ready-made "Sicilian-style" pasta sauces :
  • They often include tomatoes, aubergines, olives, capers: just heat them with a little oil and, in the dish, add a medium fruity EVO to enhance the aromatic bouquet

In all these cases, intense monocultivar oils or blends with a strong character (like the more structured selections from Frantoi Cutrera) are perfect for not "disappearing" behind the strength of the ingredients.

Quick table for pairing Sicilian sauces and extra virgin olive oil

By carefully choosing the oil to pair with each Sicilian sauce , you not only enhance the flavor of the dishes, but also explain – in a simple and direct way – the differences between the various Frantoi Cutrera labels, transforming every pasta dish into an opportunity for guided tasting.

Discover the Secret Sauces of Sicily and pair them with different Frantoi Cutrera EVO oils to create your perfect Sicilian dishes.