Episode two of Tucci in Italy’s season two starts beneath the snow-covered slopes of Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, looking out toward the Mediterranean Sea. It's the perfect introduction to an island Tucci describes as "Italian, but unapologetically itself."
Sicily is a place of contrasts. It's renowned for its beaches, archaeological treasures and unforgettable cuisine, yet its history has also been marked by conquest, migration and resilience. Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards and North Africans all left their mark here, and nowhere is that history more evident than on the plate.
Throughout the Sicily episode of Tucci in Italy, Tucci follows those influences one meal at a time, discovering that Sicily's greatest ingredient is actually the island's remarkable ability to embrace new cultures while never losing its own identity.
Here's how to eat your way through Stanley Tucci's trek through Sicily, with Appetito recipes inspired by many of the dishes featured along the way.
Want a preview before diving into Sicily? Watch the official trailer for Tucci in Italy season two to get a taste of Stanley Tucci's latest culinary adventure across Italy.
Stop 1: Mount Etna's Blood Oranges
The journey begins on the fertile slopes of Mount Etna, where volcanic soil and dramatic temperature swings create one of Sicily's most celebrated crops: blood oranges.
Tucci visits grower Gerardo Diana, whose family has cultivated citrus on the mountain for generations. Blood oranges are notoriously difficult to grow, but Etna's unique microclimate produces fruit unlike anywhere else in the world.
The cool nighttime temperatures trigger the fruit's deep crimson color, a natural response that also creates high levels of antioxidants and vitamin C. Although they now feel inseparable from Sicily, citrus isn't native to the island. Arabs introduced oranges during the 10th century, one of many lasting culinary influences that continue to define Sicilian cuisine today.
Gerardo and his team harvest hundreds of kilograms each morning before gathering for lunch, and their meal couldn't be simpler.
Fresh blood oranges are tossed with wild fennel, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper, creating a refreshing salad that captures the essence of Sicilian cooking.
Make it at home: Appetito's Fennel and Orange Salad
Stop 2: Palermo's Street Food Heritage
If eastern Sicily feels unmistakably Italian, Palermo reveals the island's multicultural soul.
Often called one of the most conquered cities on Earth, Palermo has absorbed influences from nearly every civilization that ever arrived on its shores. The city's cathedral alone reflects Norman, Byzantine and Arab architecture, while its streets remain a lively blend of old traditions and new energy.
Nowhere is that more evident than Capo Market. For more than a thousand years, merchants from across the Mediterranean have gathered here to buy, sell and trade ingredients. Tucci walks the bustling market with local historian Chiara D'Agostino before stopping to sample some of Palermo's best-known street food.
They start with the arancina. Palermo famously insists on the feminine name, while Catania and much of eastern Sicily call it an arancino. The debate has become almost as famous as the fried rice ball itself.
The dish traces its origins to Arab rule, when rice and saffron first arrived in Sicily. Today, fillings vary by region, from meat ragù and mozzarella to butter and ham, while spices like turmeric, paprika and curry give the crispy exterior its signature golden color, resembling an orange.
Tucci then watches the careful preparation of caponata, Sicily's iconic sweet-and-sour eggplant dish. Eggplant is deep fried until perfectly tender. Onions, celery, tomatoes, olives and capers are all prepared individually before combined with vinegar and sugar to create Sicily's famous agrodolce flavor.
Make it at home: Appetito's Sicilian Roasted Caponata and Grilled Swordfish with Sicilian Caponata
Stop 3: Mazara del Vallo and Sicily's Red Prawns
Driving southwest, Tucci arrives in Mazara del Vallo, where Tunisia lies closer than Rome. That geography has shaped the town for centuries.
Today, Mazara is home to Sicily's largest Tunisian community, a relationship strengthened during the fishing boom of the 1970s, when Tunisian fishermen brought both expertise and new culinary traditions to the island.
Sonia Giacalone, whose family has operated a fishing company for nearly a century, introduces Tucci to one of Sicily's greatest treasures: the red prawn of Mazara del Vallo. Caught nearly 700 meters below the Mediterranean's surface, the prawns are prized for their delicate sweetness and are often served raw to showcase their extraordinary flavor.
Life at sea isn't easy, Giacalone explains. Whether the weather is calm or rough, the boats still head out. It's demanding work, but one that continues to define the region.
Make it at home: Appetito's favorite seafood recipes
Stop 4: Trapani's Seafood Couscous
The journey continues to Trapani, one of the Mediterranean's most important historic ports and likely the first place couscous arrived in Italy. At Cantina Siciliana, Tucci meets Hajer Aissi, who prepares one of the town's signature dishes: Trapanese seafood couscous.
Although Aissi grew up making the Tunisian version, she now specializes in the Sicilian interpretation. The couscous itself is still rolled entirely by hand. Water is gradually worked into semolina until tiny grains begin to form before they're steamed over fragrant seafood broth seasoned with cinnamon, parsley and onion. Fresh local fish complete the dish.
"Our customs, flavors and aromas resemble North Africa," Hajer tells Tucci. "Our religions may be different, but after so many years together, a cultural maturity has occured, and there really is little difference."
It's one of the episode's most moving moments, reminding viewers that Sicily's greatest recipes belong to many cultures at once.
Make it at home: Appetito's favorite Italian Couscous Pasta
Stop 5: The Nebrodi Mountains and the Sicilian Black Pig
Leaving the coast behind, Tucci heads into the Nebrodi Mountains, home to the ancient Sicilian black pig. Farmer Franco Borrello explains how the breed nearly disappeared as industrial farming spread across the countryside. Today, his pigs still roam freely through forests, feeding naturally before returning to centuries-old stone shelters called zomme.
At the family's Osteria del Maiale Nero ,Chef Alessandro Maniaci and Franco's 87-year-old mother, Anna, prepare traditional dishes using nearly everything raised on the farm. Nothing goes to waste. Dark, richly marbled pork becomes rustic sausages, ribs and hearty family meals made with locally grown vegetables.
Franco worries that Sicily's traditional farms are disappearing. "To save the land, we need small companies," he says. His family's refusal to industrialize has helped preserve not only an ancient breed, but also a way of life.
Make it at home:
- Appetito's favorite pork recipes
Stop 6: The Valley of the Temples
The final stop takes Tucci to one of Sicily's most extraordinary landscapes.
While most visitors come to admire the ancient Greek temples, he heads into the Kolymbethra Garden, where irrigation channels carved more than 2,500 years ago still nourish citrus trees, olive groves, prickly pears and dozens of other plants.
The setting becomes the backdrop for one final feast. Chefs Alessandro and Giuseppe join them again to prepare pasta con le sarde, combining sardines, anchovies, raisins, pine nuts, saffron and tomato into one of Sicily's defining recipes.
The dish perfectly captures the island's history. None of the ingredients originated on the island, yet centuries of cultural exchange transformed them into something unmistakably Sicilian.
Next, they serve black pig ribs glazed in an agrodolce sauce sweetened with honey produced by Sicily's native black bees. Dessert celebrates both tradition and innovation: a silky custard featuring blood oranges alongside mango, papaya and passion fruit.
It's a fitting finale for an island that has spent centuries welcoming new ideas while remaining entirely itself. “Sicily's ability to absorb countless influences without losing its identity may be the secret behind its delicious difference,” Tucci explains.
Make it at home:
- Appetito's savory sardine recipe
- Appetito's peach tart
Can't get enough of Stanley Tucci? Explore Tucci in Italy: Season One.
