Guest Post: Katie Bowes Takes Us On A Tour of Sicily

And then she feeds us because that’s just how good of a host she is.

Oct 24, 2024

Hello out there~

Are you ready to zap back in time and space to summer in Sicily? Well, then the following guest missive is for you. (Or, for those of us who really wilt in the heat, looking at photos from the safety of October will certainly do.)

To review: after an insane whirlwind of illness, earlier this September, I lost my stepdad. While I’m finding my footing, some of my talented friends and peers are stepping in to put together some Treehouse-esque posts for you all. I am so silly grateful for this crew.

This week, Katie Bowes, co-owner of The Post Supply and ultimate bringer-of-light-always, takes us back to a family trip to her ancestral Sicily. And then shares a recipe so we can at least partially feel like we were there. Sort of a newsletter smell-o-vision if you will.

Katie, the floor is yours, my dear::

My dad’s side of the family hails from Italy, specifically from Sicily, specifically from Vittoria, which is in the southern Provence of Ragusa. I have always felt a deep connection to and fondness for my Italian roots. This is something many Italian-Americans I meet share in common. We love being Italian! We cling to whatever traces of our heritage still courses through our veins! I have forced the Feast of the Seven Fishes, our most beloved Italian-American holiday tradition, onto friends throughout the years. When a friend has a baby and I am signing up for the meal train, my instinct is: pasta with fresh sauce! It was harder than I anticipated to shed my maiden name—Giannone—when I got married. So, I moved it to the middle of my name and hold it in my heart as my rationalization for being such a passionate person. Suffice it to say: I love being Italian. For me, this isn’t based on regular trips to our mother country or an Italian-speaking Nonna who taught me everything she knows. Rather, it stems from the Italian-themed values my dad instilled in my brothers and me (protect the family, gather your loved ones, learn to cook and do it well). That combination of the traditional themes of Italian life - abundant meals, copious gatherings, explosions of loud laughter - and you’ve got a winning recipe for Bella Vita.

This past August, 6 months after my dad turned 70 and 1 month after I rounded the corner to 40, my entire family gathered in Sicily together. This was a real bucket list moment made especially sweet as the memories of Covid-era distancing and grounding still whisper in our minds. I won’t go into every detail of our 10-day trip, but I did want to highlight some favorites in case you have your sights set on Sicily - or simply scroll to the bottom for a tried & true traditional Sicilian recipe. OK, andiamo!

View of the Ionian Sea from Castello Tarfuri

Our first stop was Castello Tafuri—recommended by our dear friend Tess by her natural wine contact in Sicily—this became not only our first lodging upon landing where we could weather jet lag and deal with our lost luggage, but also a dependable dining experience that left us and the kids happy and full without having to leave the grounds. Castello Tafuri is perched along a dramatic Ionian shoreline right before you hit the southernmost tip of Sicily in Porto Palo. Their Apertivo Hour, we learned, is somewhat infamous among locals.

Next onto: A Truly Gorgeous Ragusa Villa (via Plum Guide). We stayed in a centuries-old Villa in the heart of Ragusa’s farmland. The villa was stunning and I knew it would be because Plum Guide is a European short term rental site that (importantly) vets each listing personally to ensure the places match their photos and descriptions and are run by upstanding people. It really was so special—old in that beautiful, romantic, inspiring way only places in Europe are—but updated in the ways that matter: good, functioning water, air conditioning in the bedrooms, clean sheets and towels, a really impressive automatic espresso maker that’s giving my Breville some competition… Anyway you get it. Our whole group of 14 could fit happily and from here we launched out to explore Sicily on daily car expeditions.

Our first night in the Villa, all of us arrived from across the world, most of my family that very day. We leaned on our Villa host to coordinate us with a Sicilian cook at the house. This proved to be a genius plan so we could settle, unpack, get in the pool, and not stress about preparing a big meal. From this absolutely delicious and very traditional Sicilian feast (as requested), we had our first taste of Pasta alla Norma, one of the most infamous and beloved dishes of the island. A simple pasta dish celebrating the seasonal produce. One that we would have several times over our trip and then obviously I had to recreate it upon my return—my current recipe is below!

Onto the other dining experiences that were especially worth noting. The city center of Ragusa yielded i Banchi. We opted to sit outside, in a little sort of alleyway where groups of foot traffic and speeding mopeds punctuated an otherwise quiet corner of the city. The food was strait forward in a ‘modern take on traditional Sicilian fare’ kind of way—fancy, but not trying too hard—beautifully prepared and seasoned perfectly.

Modica, known for its chocolate, was a fun walk-around before sitting down to eat. After a fumble of a reservation, we made our way down the endlessly winding and endlessly beautiful steps to the main strip and found a spot (Osteria dei Sapori Perduti) that was packed with locals and could accommodate our group of 14 at 8pm. It was classic Sicilian through and through and I loved every bite. The black and white checkered floors, wood-paneled walls, and harvest-toned plaid tablecloths delighted me. I also loved shopping the tourist shop next door for the famous Modican chocolate and Sicilian ceramics to line my bookshelves at home.

Vittoria, my hometown*, yielded OCCHIPINTI. Do not miss this vineyard and tasting room if you find yourself in Sicily. It was such an inspiring place: from the architecture and design of the buildings; to the most delicious Italian olive oil (from olive trees right outside the tasting room!); to the bread they make on site using the low intervention wheat grown on site; to ~of course~ the most transcendent wines, which I now hoard anytime I find them in a favorite wine shop here in Maine (shout out: Blue Hill Wines, Alna Store, Maine & Loire).

Siracusa ended up being a bit of a chaotic stop for our group of fourteen. Sicily in August is just plain too hot for time in the city. It *is* a beautiful, historic city and I would recommend a visit, but we were happier when my brother discovered a dramatic beach 30 minutes from the city center (Punta della Mola). It involved a somewhat treacherous hike, but opened up into what felt like a real locals favorite—for good reason!

Most days we would venture to different Lidos, all on beautiful beaches. You can snorkel and swim in perfect water, rent chairs and umbrellas on the beach for a nominal sum of money, and have access to food and drink that you don’t have to prepare or plan ahead. I am into Lido culture. I wish we had it in Maine!

Our final leg of the trip took us to Casa Lawa, a bed & breakfast and chef residency program nestled pretty far up Mount Etna. Located on many acres of orchards with owner Lukas’ unique and covetable design sensibility, Casa Lawa is truly an experience. From the brightly colored loungers around the pool, with lava stone stuck between our toes, we watched as Etna (not that far in the distance) smoked menacingly. During our 3 night stay, we enjoyed the full Lawa experience with guest chefs preparing a multi-course meal, served family style with other guests from around the world, under twinkle lights hung from the arbor in the orchard. It was incredible.

From Casa Lawa it was time to head home. Suntanned, relaxed, and with a handful of ideas to bring home to our kitchen in Maine. The ultimate message from this Italian-American who was determined to have a life altering experience in her homeland is: Worth the trip! So drivable! Get some recommendations before you go! Don’t go in August! There is so much magic on this island to discover!

Ok now for the recipe. At Agricola Occhipinti, I hit the gift shop hard and one of my purchases was a cookbook called “The Flavors of Sicily.” Each recipe is listed in both Italian and English (only the English version has typos and funky translations). The first recipe I flipped to a month after returning was, of course, Pasta alla Norma. But one skim through and I felt sure I’d want to combine it with my tried and trusted Roasted Tomato Sauce recipe to get more depth of flavor, since my Maine tomatoes were not quite up to snuff.

So here we go. I want to preface this by saying I am not in any way a cooking professional. I am an enthusiastic home cook and none of this was my idea except to combine the two recipes!

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt or sea salt

• 1/2 cup (60ml) olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying

• 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced

• Crushed red chilli flakes

• 4 anchovy fillets in oil, drained

• 2 tbs tomato paste

• 400g can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed or fresh tomatoes

• 1-2 Eggplants

• 1/4 cup fresh Ricotta cheese

• 340g bucatini or spaghetti

• Lots of grated parmesan cheese

Step 1: Fill a large roasting dish (9”-12” with 2” walls) with tomatoes. You can use fresh tomatoes from the garden or canned tomatoes. I have done both many times and they turn out delicious either way. Cover the tomatoes in olive oil (a heavy handed drizzle or about 1/4 cup) and about 3-4 crushed heads of garlic and a nice covering of kosher salt. Stir gently with a spoon to get all the tomatoes coated. Roast in the oven at 350° for between 2.5-3.5 hours. You want them to start to slightly brown without drying out. Make sure there is a good amount of liquid left in the pan. Ideally you are scraping down the walls of the roasting pan to get the browned, caramelized tomatoes off the sides and when you are done and all the tomatoes are bubbling and cooked through.

Step 2: While the tomatoes are roasting, but have about 1 hour left, finely slice the eggplant, skin on, dip in cold water and salt. Leave under a weight for approximately 1 hour (I leave them in a bowl with a pot on top) then drain and squeeze dry. Fry the sliced eggplant in hot oil (vegetable oil is better than olive oil, so you can get it hot enough) and place on paper towels. Set aside.

Step 3: When the tomatoes are nearly done, start to heat another 1/4 cup of olive oil in a big heavy bottomed pot. Thinly slice the red onion and add it to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is cooked through but not browned, 10-15 minutes. Add the anchovies and stir until they’ve melted into the pan, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook until it turns a brick-red color and sticks a bit to the bottom of the pan, about 90 seconds.

Step 4: Add tomatoes, scraping any bits on bottom and sides of pan. Season with salt and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until the sauce thickens and it tastes so good you can hardly stand it. Add more salt and red chilli flakes if you want. Add in the fried eggplant and 1-2 spoonfuls of fresh ricotta cheese. Keep warm and set aside.

Step 5: Cook the pasta in a pot of heavily salted water until just cooked. Drain and combine with the sauce.

Serve with fresh basil and lots of grated parmesan cheese! I recommend a glass of SP68 Rosso to go with!

*I am from Connecticut, I joke.