A Sicilian Afternoon in Francofonte
A Sicilian afternoon in Francofonte: homemade pasta, pizza, arancini and cannoli, prepared with locals in a traditional country house.
What happens when a group of visitors spends an afternoon in a traditional Sicilian country house?
In Francofonte, we joined a local cooking experience where pasta, pizza and cannoli were made from scratch and shared around the table.
But the food was only part of the experience. The afternoon also gave us a chance to meet the people behind it, see how they prepared the food, and spend time in a traditional Sicilian home.
This is the story of that afternoon.
The Place
Francofonte is a town in eastern Sicily, surrounded by hills and countryside.
The experience takes place in a traditional country house outside the town.
The house has a large garden and views of the surrounding hills, with many details that reflect the local style.
The property has many traditional Sicilian details, including Teste di Moro vases, majolica tiles on the stairs and an old stone oven.
Fico d’India grows throughout the garden, adding colour to the setting. From the house, there is also a view across the surrounding hills.
Together, these details give visitors a glimpse of a traditional Sicilian country house.
The Hosts
Andrea is a local from Francofonte and the person who welcomes guests to the experience. In his early twenties, he brings a relaxed and easygoing energy to the afternoon.
He is always joking around, talking with the guests and making everyone feel at home. There is nothing formal about his approach, which makes it easy for people who have just met to relax and enjoy the experience together.
Then there is Signora Lucia, who takes care of the cooking. With a huge smile and a warm, welcoming personality, she quickly feels less like a cook and more like the mother of the group.
Together, they create the atmosphere that makes the experience work: Alessandro keeps things relaxed and coordinates the experience, while Lucia brings the food and the warmth.
The Group
There were seven of us around the table that afternoon.
Maria, our photographer, our son and I had come from Greece. Two friends had travelled from Sweden, and another two from Netherlands.
The Swedish pair had their own international story too: one was originally from Iran and the other from Iraq.
We had one thing in common from the start: we all enjoy good homemade food, and we were all curious to see what was coming out of the kitchen.
Making the Pasta
First came the pasta.
We made cavatelli, using durum wheat semolina and eggs. Once the dough was ready, we cut it into small pieces and shaped each one by hand using a fork.
Pressing the dough against the fork creates the ridges and shape that make cavatelli easy to recognise.
It looked simple, but getting each piece right took a little practice.
Arancini or Arancine?
Next came another Sicilian classic: the famous rice-filled snack known as arancini in Catania and arancine in Palermo.
Our hosts explained that the difference is more than just the name. In Catania, they are traditionally associated with a cone shape resembling mount Etna, while in Palermo they are often shaped more like an orange.
And, as we quickly discovered, Sicilians have strong opinions about which version is the right one.
The debate between Catania and Palermo over the correct name and shape is a long-running local argument — and clearly one that is not about to end anytime soon.
Pizza
After the pasta came the pizza.
The dough was prepared and shaped by hand before the pizzas were topped and placed in the old stone oven.
Watching the pizzas go into the oven made the setting feel even more connected to the traditional way of cooking. The oven is part of the house itself, and it was still being used to prepare the food we were about to share.
Once they came out, there was not much waiting around. The pizzas were cut, shared and quickly disappeared around the table.
Cannoli
The cooking class ended with another Sicilian favourite: cannoli.
The shells were filled and prepared as part of the cooking experience, giving us another chance to see how a familiar Sicilian dessert comes together.
Like the pasta and pizza, the cannoli were made to be shared. By this point, the kitchen had become the centre of the afternoon, with everyone taking part, watching, tasting and talking around the table.
And, of course, the final step was the easiest one: eating them.
Around the Table
By the end of the afternoon, everything came together around the table.
The pasta, pizza, arancini and cannoli we had helped prepare were now ready to share. What started as a cooking experience had turned into a long, relaxed meal with people who had only met a few hours earlier.
There was plenty of conversation, laughter and food, with everyone sharing something about where they came from and what had brought them to Sicily.
It was a simple way to spend an afternoon, but it was also what made the experience memorable: cooking together, sitting around the same table and getting to know each other along the way.
What we Took Away
We came to Francofonte expecting good food, but we left with something more.
We learned how to make some traditional Sicilian dishes, discovered a little more about local food and customs, and spent an afternoon with people from different places who had come together around the same table.
But what stayed with us was not a particular dish or recipe. It was the feeling of being welcomed into a local home, sharing a meal with people we had just met, and leaving as if we had known them a little longer.
Sometimes, that is what makes an experience worth remembering.
The Experience
The experience takes place at a traditional country house in the hills of Francofonte, in eastern Sicily.
Hosted by Andrei and Signora Lucia, the afternoon combines Sicilian cooking with a chance to spend time in a local home and meet other travellers.
During our visit, we made cavatelli, prepared arancini, made pizza in the traditional stone oven and finished with cannoli. Everything was prepared and enjoyed together around the table.
Location: Francofonte, Sicily
Hosted by: Andrea and Signora Lucia
Experience: Sicilian cooking and local food experience
Booking: Available through Airbnb - link below
All photographs in this story were made by @marakiabra
